The word prevail is a verb that describes an act of conquest or being victorious. It can also be used to describe success. An example would be a country that defeats another during wartime. It also may be used to describe a person or entity’s ability to maintain an elite status. For example, if there is a champion in a sport who has been the best competitor for a long period of time, some people might say they are the prevailing champion. The term prevail can be used in a negative or positive way. A team leader might say that the team is prevailing to offer encouragement to its members. On the other hand, a person might say they prevail at a certain activity to make other people feel dominated or defeated. Tyrants and dictators often use the term prevail to make their status seem more powerful than it really is.
The word prevail ought to be used carefully, especially if you are using it to describe yourself or an entity you belong to. You do not want to give the impression that you feel you are better than everyone else. If you use the term correctly, it can be beneficial. For example, if you are interviewing for a job in a company, you could say to the interviewer that you prevailed at certain tasks at your last job. If you are a lead of a project, you say to the other members, "we are prevailing in our work” to make them feel driven to achieve. Avoid using the term in ways such as, "I prevail over you in everything I do.” This can be very off-putting to others. If you feel like you need to make a point about this say something such as, "I prevail in my writing abilities, but you prevail over me in public speaking.”
The word prevail ought to be used carefully, especially if you are using it to describe yourself or an entity you belong to. You do not want to give the impression that you feel you are better than everyone else. If you use the term correctly, it can be beneficial. For example, if you are interviewing for a job in a company, you could say to the interviewer that you prevailed at certain tasks at your last job. If you are a lead of a project, you say to the other members, "we are prevailing in our work” to make them feel driven to achieve. Avoid using the term in ways such as, "I prevail over you in everything I do.” This can be very off-putting to others. If you feel like you need to make a point about this say something such as, "I prevail in my writing abilities, but you prevail over me in public speaking.”
