| 释义 |
prevalence|ˈprɛvələns|
Also 6–7 prevailance.
[a. F. prévalence (15–16th c. in Godef.), ad. med.L. prævalēntia (Digests) superior force, f. prævalēre to prevail: see -ence.]
1. a. The fact or action of prevailing; the having or obtaining of predominance or mastery. Now rare.
1592Kyd Sp. Trag. iii. xv, Awake, Reuenge, if loue..Haue yet the power or preuailance in hell. 1633Bp. Hall Hard Texts, N.T. 22 Those sins which we commit..upon..suddaine and forceable prevalence of a temptation. 1711in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 140 There was a strong probability for their prevalence, considering their advantage in the ground, their numbers.., and their resolution. 1748Hartley Observ. Man ii. ii. 178 The Prevalence of their own Endeavours..over this Opposition. 1833Chalmers Const. Man (1835) I. iv. 192 The final prevalence of the good over the evil. 1866Swinburne Two Dreams 74 Words and sense Fail through the tune's imperious prevalence.
†b. Presence or existence of greater power or strength. Obs.
1646Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. iv. v. 188 Many are right handed whose Livers are weakely constituted, and many use the left [hand], in whom that part is strongest; and we observe in Apes and other animals, whose Liver is in the right, no regular prevalence therein.
2. Effective force or power; influence, weight; efficacy; prevailingness. Now rare.
1631T. Powell Tom All Trades (1876) 149 In Colledges, the letters of great persons..have beene of great prevailance [in getting preferments]; But it is not so now in these dayes. 1642Bp. Reynolds Israel's Petit. 6 There is a kinde of omnipotencie in prayer, as having an Interest and prevalence with Gods omnipotencie. 1718Entertainer No. 15. 101 Great is the Prevalence of a fashionable Practice. 1802E. Parsons Myst. Visit IV. 262 Example has great prevalence, whether good or bad. 1879G. Meredith Egoist xvii, A sensitive gentleman, anxious even to prognostic apprehension on behalf of his pride, his comfort and his prevalence.
3. The condition of being prevalent, or of general occurrence or existence; extensive or common practice or acceptance. (The ordinary current sense.)
1713Steele Guardian No. 1 ⁋1 The notion I have of the prevalence of ambition this way. 1750Johnson Rambler No. 43⁋3 This position..perhaps, will never gain much prevalence by a close examination. 1792Burke Corr. (1844) IV. 2 We were a little uneasy from the steady prevalence of winds in the westerly quarter. 1839Ann. Rep. Registrar-Gen. England 87 The prevalence of a disease..is expressed by the deaths in a given time out of a given number of living. 1844Ld. Brougham Brit. Const. v. (1862) 77 The prevalence of bribery is the most difficult subject with which we have to deal. 1857T. W. Grimshaw et al. Man. Public Health Ireland xxvii. 298 From statistics [of small-pox]..it appears that its greatest prevalence is observed in May, the cases in that month being 13.7 per cent. of the total cases occurring in the year. 1961M. Schorer Sinclair Lewis iv. viii. 471 He talked..about the prevalence of American slang in British speech. 1975Nature 20 Mar. 168/3 Any successful preventative measure against leprosy will be shown by a fall in the number of new cases or in the incidence rate: the total number of cases (or ‘prevalence’ rate) will change much more slowly, because of the inclusion of patients who are already crippled. |