Hypertext Webster Gateway: "prevalence"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Prevalence \Prev"a*lence\, n. [L. praevalentia: cf. F.
pr['e]valence. See {Prevail}.]
The quality or condition of being prevalent; superior
strength, force, or influence; general existence, reception,
or practice; wide extension; as, the prevalence of virtue, of
a fashion, or of a disease; the prevalence of a rumor.
The duke better knew what kind of argument were of
prevalence with him. --Clarendon.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
prevalence
n 1: the quality of prevailing generally; being widespread; "he
was surprised by the prevalence of optimism about the
future"
2: (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
3: a superiority in numbers or amount; "there is a
preponderance of Blacks in our prisons" [syn: {preponderance}]
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