What's the difference between defeat and prevail?

Defeat


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To resist with success; as, to defeat an assault.
  • (v. t.) To undo; to disfigure; to destroy.
  • (v. t.) To render null and void, as a title; to frustrate, as hope; to deprive, as of an estate.
  • (v. t.) To overcome or vanquish, as an army; to check, disperse, or ruin by victory; to overthrow.
  • (v.) An undoing or annulling; destruction.
  • (v.) Frustration by rendering null and void, or by prevention of success; as, the defeat of a plan or design.
  • (v.) An overthrow, as of an army in battle; loss of a battle; repulse suffered; discomfiture; -- opposed to victory.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) This defeat, though, is hardly a good calling card for the main job.
  • (2) To confront this evil – and defeat it, standing together for our values, for our security, for our prosperity.” Merkel gave a strong endorsement of Cameron’s reform strategy, saying that Britain’s demands were “not just understandable, but worthy of support”.
  • (3) He campaigned for a no vote and won handsomely, backed by more than 61%, before performing a striking U-turn on Thursday night, re-tabling the same austerity terms he had campaigned to defeat and which the voters rejected.
  • (4) John Carver witnessed signs of much-needed improvement from the visitors in a purposeful spell either side of the interval but it was not enough to prevent a fifth successive Premier League defeat.
  • (5) Different games, different moments but it is very important to start winning our points at home.” City started their title defence by defeating Newcastle United 2-0.
  • (6) Instead of inevitable defeat there is uncertain cop-out.
  • (7) Long-term: The defeat of Isis is a political shaping exercise – you find moderate Sunni leaders, empower and install them in Syria and Iraq.
  • (8) Clinton lost the presidency and Democrats lost those seats, as Democrats suffered staggering defeats across two branches of government.
  • (9) A foretaste of discontent came when Florian Thauvin, the underachieving £13m winger signed from Marseille last summer , was serenaded with chants of ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt” from away fans during Saturday’s FA Cup defeat at Watford .
  • (10) Hagan’s defeat came as a shock and a heavy blow for the Democratic party in North Carolina, a purple state that now has no Democratic senator or governor for the first time in 30 years.
  • (11) The Iraqi prime minister has fired several senior security force commanders over the defeats in the face of Isis and on Wednesday announced that 59 military officers would be prosecuted for abandoning the city of Mosul.
  • (12) It's almost starting to feel like we're back in the good old days of July 2005, when Paris lost out to London in the battle to stage the 2012 Olympic Games, a defeat immediately interpreted by France as a bitter blow to Gallic ideals of fair play and non-commercialism and yet another undeserved triumph for the underhand, free-market manoeuvrings of perfidious Albion.
  • (13) The Liverpool manager was incensed by Lee Mason's performance at the Etihad Stadium on Boxing Day, when a 2-1 defeat cost his team the Premier League leadership and Raheem Sterling had a first half goal disallowed for an incorrect offside call.
  • (14) Following a run which included eight straight draws in the Premier League and a 3-0 defeat at Tottenham last Wednesday, Mubarak had reached the conclusion that Hughes and his coaching staff were not realising the potential of the players City had assembled.
  • (15) Southampton, with injuries and defeats to consider, were left licking their wounds.
  • (16) Three million of us are behind our team!” trumpets La Republica, who hail “the national team's exemplary behaviour so far, both individually and collectively.” Naturally they were saying exactly the same thing after the defeat to Costa Rica.
  • (17) However since the night of our defeat last week I have been subject to the added level of pressure that comes with being a leadership candidate.
  • (18) Photograph: Martin Argles for the Guardian A journey that started five years ago with a promise to bring Labour together – to avoid the civil strife that traditionally followed election defeat – risks ending where it began: contemplating electoral wilderness.
  • (19) Despite a lack of traditional campaign organization, a mix of big rallies and constant appearances on cable news helped Trump defeat what had been described as the strongest field in Republican history.
  • (20) "The title race is over but that changes nothing as we should do our best from now until the end of the season," the Italian said before explaining why he did not speak to the media after the 2-0 defeat at Everton in City's previous game .

Prevail


Definition:

  • (v. i.) To overcome; to gain the victory or superiority; to gain the advantage; to have the upper hand, or the mastery; to succeed; -- sometimes with over or against.
  • (v. i.) To be in force; to have effect, power, or influence; to be predominant; to have currency or prevalence; to obtain; as, the practice prevails this day.
  • (v. i.) To persuade or induce; -- with on, upon, or with; as, I prevailedon him to wait.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Among the pathological or abnormal ECGs (25.6%) prevailed the vegetative-functional heart diseases with 92%.
  • (2) Yet the Tory promise of fiscal rectitude prevailed in England Alexander had been in charge of Labour’s election strategy, but he could not strategise a victory over a 20-year-old Scottish nationalist who has not yet taken her finals.
  • (3) In 1935, Einstein challenged the prevailing interpretation of quantum theory.
  • (4) The probable reaction mechanisms prevailing in both cases are discussed in accordance with the low and high resolution mass spectral data presented.
  • (5) Of the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, T-lymphocytes (mostly CD4+ cells) prevailed over B-lymphocytes.
  • (6) According to perimeter of leg, 13% of these girl students might he considered affected of second degree malnutrition, this situation prevailed from 13 to 18 years of age, but was not true in the 12--year--old group.
  • (7) It was shown that at the time of birth the noradrenaline level prevailed over the adrenaline level, but as soon as the 3rd-5th day the noradrenaline content displayed a relative reduction in both groups.
  • (8) Scaf criticised the Muslim Brotherhood for its premature announcement of the results and stated it was "one of the main causes of division and confusion prevailing the political arena".
  • (9) A popular strain of foreign policy thought has long held that the US should be guided primarily by self-interest rather than human rights concerns: hence, since the US wants its Fifth Fleet to remain in Bahrain and believes ( with good reason ) that these dictators will serve US interests far better than if popular will in these countries prevails, it is right to prop up these autocrats.
  • (10) Ac-MPS of the hyaluronic acid type prevail in the ground substance of the myxoid and fibroblastic mesenchyma, while the substances containing sulfuric groups predominate in the tissue matrix exhibiting fibrogenic tendencies.
  • (11) Histologically, the prevailing feature of the tumors was infiltrating medullary adenocarcinoma consistent with carcinoma of mammary duct origin.
  • (12) When adapting the insulin dose, duration and intensity of the work load, time of day, prevailing insulin levels, and the state of nutrition must be considered.
  • (13) Unpleasure prevailed during the symbiotic phase; aggressive energies predominated and enmeshed with the neuronal encoding, the early structuralization in both the neurophysiological and psychological meaning.
  • (14) Two weeks later the Colts would prevail 29-17 at Super Bowl XLI.
  • (15) Anticoagulation should be employed following mitral valve replacement while factors contributing to thromboembolism prevail.
  • (16) During the period 1977-1979, the treatment protocol recommended vaginal hysterectomy; since 1980 abdominal surgery has prevailed.
  • (17) The main conclusions can be summarized as follows: MFS is a predominantly axonal inflammatory neuropathy with prevailing involvement of oculomotor nerves.
  • (18) Marginal overhang was the prevailing type of failure (17%), recurrent caries occurred at 12% of the restorations, unacceptable proximal contact at 10%, unacceptable marginal adaptation at 8% and isthmus fractures at 2%.
  • (19) In those with fluctuating HBe status, there was no correlation between prevailing HBe serology and sequence.
  • (20) Their mean age was 61.9 years, males prevailed (82%).