The phrase "a prevailing assumption" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to a widely accepted belief or idea that is generally held by a group or society.
Example: "In many cultures, a prevailing assumption is that success is measured by wealth and status."
Alternatives: "a common belief" or "a dominant notion".
Even the network's new logo, which renders the "i" in its name upside down, furthers the impression that it hopes to stand a prevailing assumption or two on its head.
There seems to be a prevailing assumption amongst PE teachers that people can just run, without any training in how to do it, and that, when passed a cricket bat some sort of sacred knowledge will flow through its handle, instilling the bearer with an understanding of the byzantine rules of the game.
It is concluded in contrast to a prevailing assumption, the hypertrabeculated left ventricle is not like the ventricle of the embryo or of adult ectotherms.
A prevailing assumption of much of this research is that social capital is a vital resource enabling immigrants to find their economic and social niches in the host society.
From the 1960s until the 1980s, empirical questions concerning civic education were relatively neglected, mainly because of a prevailing assumption that intentional programs would not have significant and durable effects, given the more powerful influences of social class and ideology (Cook, 1985).
There is a prevailing assumption that asthma is not a problem in this population.
For one thing, the word "bisexual" comes from a time when the prevailing assumption was that there were simply men and women.
While causal inferences are subject to the limitations of a cross-sectional design, the findings pose an empirical challenge to the prevailing assumption that prior drug use is a dominant causal factor in YMSM becoming homeless.
Prior to the Tohoku event, the prevailing assumption was that a subduction zone could generate megathrust earthquakes at only limited depths — specifically, between about five and twenty-five miles down.
The prevailing assumption is that a fundamental lifestyle change is unnecessary: being green means paying extra for organic produce and driving a hybrid.
While the existing literature has shed great light on the theory and practice of LDPC codes, investigation was largely carried out from a pure coding perspective, where the prevailing assumption is that the synchronization and channel estimation are handled perfectly by the front-end receiver.
