English → Latin
“prevail” in Latin
invalēscōto become strong; to strengthen; to increase, prevail, predominateconvalēscōto recover (from an illness); to gain strengthingravēscōto become heavy (or heavier); to become burdensome; to become worseincrēbrēscōto become stronger or more frequent; to increase, gain ground, prevail, spreadpercrēbrēscōto become very frequent or prevalent; to spreadinveterāscōto grow old; to become inveterateserpōto creep, crawl, move slowly (of an animal); to move slowly or imperceptibly, to creep in or along, proceed gradually, tvigeōto be vigorous or thriving; thrive, flourish; to be in honor, esteem or repute; prosper; to be alive, liveobtineōto have, occupy, possess, hold, obtain; to preserve, keep, maintain, uphold; persist in; to assert, show, prove, demonstdiffundōto diffuse, scatter; to decant, spread or pour out
The English word prevail itself goes back to Latin valeō, through praevaleō.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
prevail
To obtain force, currency, etc., invalescere, convalescere: ingravescere (to gain strength): increbrescere: percrebrescere (to become frequent or common): inveterascere (to take deep root): serpere (to spread abroad gradually and imperceptibly) late se diffundere: late serpere (to spread abroad widely): to prevail throughout anything, diffundi or se diffundere per aliquid; pervadere per aliquid: a fever prevails, febris augetur, increscit: luxury began to prevail, luxuria pullulare incipiebat (Nep., Cat., 2, 3).
To be in force, have influence, vigere; increbruisse; invaluisse; obtinere (post-Augustan). Anybody’s opinion ought to have prevailed, alicujus consilium valere debuit.
To conquer, Vid: PREVAIL UPON, movere, adducere, perducere, impellere aliquem ad, or in aliquid or ut faciat aliquid. He could not be prevailed upon to take the oath, adduci non potuit ut juraret (Caes.). I cannot prevail on myself to, etc., a me or ab animo meo impetrare non possum ut (faciam aliquid); animum or in animum inducere non possum, facere or ut faciam aliquid; not to do it, quin faciam.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for prevail?
- The usual Latin words for “prevail” are invalēscō, convalēscō, ingravēscō; also incrēbrēscō, percrēbrēscō, inveterāscō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.