prevail

/prɪˈveɪl/
to prove more powerful or superior

After a tough battle, justice finally prevailed.

Justice won despite the challenges.


general

to be victorious or successful in a competition or struggle

Good always prevails over evil in the end.

Good ultimately wins against evil.

Often used in moral or philosophical contexts.

general

to be widely accepted or adopted

The new policy will prevail in all departments.

The new policy will be adopted everywhere.

Used to describe something becoming dominant or standard.

Collocations

prevail overto defeat or overcome someone or somethingprevail uponto persuade someone to do something

Related Phrases

prevail overphrase
to defeat or overcome someone or something
prevail uponphrase
to persuade someone to do something

Pro Tip

Common Usage

'Prevail' is often used in formal or literary contexts to describe victory or dominance.

Gold Rule

Formal Context

Use 'prevail' in formal writing or speeches to emphasize victory or dominance.

Word Origin

From Middle English 'prevaillen', from Old French 'prevaloir', from Latin 'praevalere' (to be stronger), from 'prae-' (before) + 'valere' (to be strong).

Usage Notes

Often used in formal or literary contexts. Can be used both literally and figuratively.

Word Breakdown

pre-
before
prefix
+
-vail
to be strong
root
English Dictionary