supremacy

noun

su·​prem·​a·​cy sə-ˈpre-mə-sē How to pronounce supremacy (audio)
sü-,
 also  -ˈprē-
plural supremacies
1
: the quality or state of being supreme
especially : a position of unquestioned authority, dominance, or influence
military/naval supremacy
In the 20th century, two completely different models of how to run an economy battled for supremacy. Bill McKibben
Natal's well-watered valleys … became by the end of the 18th century the site of a contest for supremacyNoel Mostert
Every high school boasts its elite squad of lookers: sparkling teeth, merciless anatomy, sunny filaments of hair … . Between classes, they parade down the halls, trooping their supremacies like Clydesdales. Richard Lacayo
2
: ultimate authority or power
belief in the supremacy of God

Examples of supremacy in a Sentence

the Roman empire had supremacy over the entire Mediterranean world the supremacy of cashmere among wools accounts for its high price
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the fight for smartphone supremacy, AI is becoming the new battleground. Paul Monckton, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 Related Chip race: Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Nvidia battle it out for AI chip supremacy Apple’s ‘Project ACDC’ is creating AI chips for data centers. Umar Shakir, The Verge, 29 Oct. 2024 The second half looks through this lens at the culture wars of the past 50 years, from the explosion of debt in the 1980s to Buchanan’s populist presidential campaign in 1992 to white Christian dread of the loss of political and cultural supremacy. John Ganz, Foreign Affairs, 22 Oct. 2024 The Biden administration has already restricted the flow of AI chips from Nvidia, AMD, and other chipmakers to more than 40 countries across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia to prevent them from being diverted to China, which the U.S. is battling for semiconductor supremacy. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for supremacy 

Word History

Etymology

supreme + -acy (as in primacy)

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of supremacy was in 1540

Dictionary Entries Near supremacy

Cite this Entry

“Supremacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supremacy. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

supremacy

noun
su·​prem·​a·​cy sə-ˈprem-ə-sē How to pronounce supremacy (audio)
plural supremacies
1
: the quality or state of being supreme
2
: supreme authority or power

More from Merriam-Webster on supremacy

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