Prevalence

Pronunciation
/PRE-val-ance/
Category
Epidemiology
Singular
Prevalence
Plural
Prevalence

Definition

The proportion of individuals in a population exhibiting a particular trait or condition at a given time.

Etymology

From Latin 'praevalentia', meaning 'condition of being widespread or prevailing'.

Example

High prevalence of pesticide resistance in the target pest species limits the effectiveness of control measures.

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