It comes from the Old English adjective rȳfe and first appeared in written form in the 12th century. Its oldest meaning, still in use today, is synonymous with widespread and prevalent; it's more …

RIFE definition: 1. If something unpleasant is rife, it is very common or happens a lot: 2. full of something…. Learn more.

RIFE definition: of common or frequent occurrence; prevalent; in widespread existence, activity, or use. See examples of rife used in a sentence.

1. of common or frequent occurrence; prevalent; widespread: Crime is rife in the city. 2. abundant, plentiful, or numerous. 3. abounding (usu. fol. by with).

Definition of rife adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

1 day ago · rife (comparative rifer, superlative rifest) Widespread, common, prevalent, current (mainly of unpleasant or harmful things). synonym quotations Synonym: fraught Smallpox was …

Royal Raymond Rife (May 16, 1888 – August 5, 1971) [1] was an American inventor and early exponent of high-magnification time-lapse cine-micrography. [2][3] Rife is known for his …

There are 24 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word rife, 15 of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

in widespread existence, activity, or use: Crime is rife in the slum areas of our cities. current in speech or report: Rumors are rife that the government is in financial difficulty.

Use the adjective rife to mean "full of" or "widespread," especially when you're talking about something negative. If the lifeguard says the water is rife with jellyfish, you're not going to want …