Origin: Latin suffix -ence
Prevalence has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
the quality of prevailing generally; being widespread
"he was surprised by the prevalence of optimism about the future"
(epidemiology) the ratio (for a given time period) of the number of occurrences of a disease or event to the number of units at risk in the population
"The high prevalence of malaria in that region prompted health officials to increase funding for mosquito control programs."
a superiority in numbers or amount
"a preponderance of evidence against the defendant"
The quality or condition of being prevalent; wide extension or spread.
"The high prevalence of flu in the school meant that nearly every student was absent on Tuesday."
In plain English: Prevalence is how common something is within a specific group at a particular time.
"The prevalence of smartphones has changed how people communicate every day."
Usage: Use prevalence to describe how widely something is found within a specific group, such as the high prevalence of a disease in an area. It refers specifically to the extent of occurrence rather than simply stating that something exists there.
The word prevalence entered English directly from Middle French around the early sixteenth century. It originally referred to a state of being superior or prevailing over others before coming to mean general existence or widespread occurrence in modern usage.