dominance

noun

dom·​i·​nance ˈdä-mə-nən(t)s 

ˈdäm-nən(t)s

1

: the fact or state of being dominant: such as

a

sociology : controlling, prevailing, or powerful position especially in a social hierarchy (see hierarchy sense 4)

male dominance

political dominance

companies competing for dominance in the market

dominance over their rivals

b

genetics : the property of one of a pair of alleles or traits that suppresses expression (see expression sense 1b(4)) of the other in the heterozygous condition

c

ecology : the influence or control over ecological communities exerted by a dominant (see dominant entry 2 sense 2b)

2

biology : functional (see functional sense 1b) asymmetry between a pair of bodily structures (such as the right and left hands)

right brain dominance

Synonyms

• ascendance
• ascendence
• ascendancy
• ascendency
• domination
• dominion
• hegemony
• imperium
• predominance
• predominancy
• preeminence
• reign
• sovereignty
• sovranty
• supremacy

Examples of dominance in a Sentence

although Napoléon had achieved dominance over the European continent, Great Britain still ruled the waves

the professor's dominance in the field of ancient Greek history

Recent Examples on the Web

The mentalist's late night dominance extended to the next generation of talk shows, guesting on several episodes of shows hosted by David Letterman, Howard Stern, and Jimmy Fallon. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 11 Dec. 2024

Chinese market share dominance ranges from a low of 70% for cathodes up to 85% for anodes. —Steve Banker, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024

He’s made up for his lack of production by delivering key passes or key scrambles in certain critical moments, and the passing game’s shortcomings have been mitigated by Barkley’s dominance. —Brooks Kubena, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024

In the film categories, the big takeaway from this morning's announcement was Emilia Pérez dominance over many categories. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see dominant entry 1

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dominance

• apical dominance
• law of dominance

Kids Definition

dominance

noun

dom·​i·​nance ˈdäm-(ə-)nən(t)s 

: the fact or state of being dominant: as

a

: the dominant position of an individual in a series of social ranks or levels

b

: the property of one of a pair of alternate forms of a gene or character that prevents or masks expression of the other when both are present in the heterozygous condition

c

: the control or influence over the environment of an ecological community that a dominant has

d

: greater activity and usage of one of a pair of body parts (as the right hand compared to the left hand)

Medical Definition

dominance

noun

dom·​i·​nance ˈdäm(-ə)-nən(t)s 

: the fact or state of being dominant: as

a

: the relative position of an individual in a social hierarchy compare pecking order

b

: the property of one of a pair of alleles or traits that suppresses expression of the other in the heterozygous condition

c

: functional asymmetry between a pair of bodily structures (as the right and left hands)