Other forms: prevailing, prevailed, prevails
To prevail is to win out in the end after a long struggle. Common sense prevailed, prevail over them, justice prevailed.
Common sense prevailed is the standard formula for a decision that took far too long. It also means to be widespread or current: the conditions that prevail there, the prevailing wind, the prevailing view. Prevail on somebody is a formal phrase meaning to persuade them. Note prevalent, meaning widespread; and prevailing wind, which is the direction wind most often comes from and decides where trees lean.
1verbprevailTo win out in the end after a long struggle.
“After a long legal battle, justice finally prevailed.”
synonyms: triumph, win out
2verbwidespreadTo be widespread or current.
“Strong westerly winds prevail on this coast for most of the year.”
prevail is a winning out or being common.
Also accepted in games: triumph
Latin praevalere is prae, before, plus valere, to be strong — the same verb as value and valid. Prevailing is being stronger than the alternatives, which covers both winning and being common.
Proto-Indo-European
*h₂welh₁-
Latin
praevaleō — be very able or more able, be superior, prevail
Old French
prevaler
Middle English
prevailen
English, today
prevail
Built from
From Middle English prevailen, from Old French prevaler, from Latin praevaleō (“be very able or more able, be superior, prevail”), from prae (“before”) + valeō (“be able or powerful”). Displaced native rīcsian.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA