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dominant

adjective
dom·​i·​nant | \ ˈdĂ€-mə-nənt How to pronounce dominant (audio) , ˈdĂ€m-nənt\

Definition of dominant

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a : commanding, controlling, or prevailing over all others the dominant culture
b : very important, powerful, or successful a dominant theme a dominant industry the team's dominant performance
2 : overlooking and commanding from a superior position a dominant hill
3 : of, relating to, or exerting ecological or genetic dominance dominant genes dominant and recessive traits
4 biology : being the one of a pair of bodily structures that is the more effective or predominant in action dominant eye used her dominant hand

dominant

noun

Definition of dominant (Entry 2 of 2)

1 music : the fifth tone of a major or minor scale (see scale entry 6 sense 2)
2a genetics : a character or factor that exerts genetic dominance (see dominance sense 1b)
b ecology : any of one or more kinds of organism (such as a species) in an ecological community that exerts a controlling influence on the environment and thereby largely determines what other kinds of organisms are present dominant conifers
c sociology : an individual having a controlling, prevailing, or powerful position in a social hierarchy : a dominant (see dominant entry 1 sense 1) individual in a social hierarchy
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Other Words from dominant

Adjective

dominantly adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for dominant

Adjective

dominant, predominant, paramount, preponderant mean superior to all others in influence or importance. dominant applies to something that is uppermost because ruling or controlling. a dominant social class predominant applies to something that exerts, often temporarily, the most marked influence. a predominant emotion paramount implies supremacy in importance, rank, or jurisdiction. unemployment was the paramount issue in the campaign preponderant applies to an element or factor that outweighs all others in influence or effect. preponderant evidence in her favor

Examples of dominant in a Sentence

Adjective

 The company is now dominant in its market. It is the dominant culture in the region. the dominant female of the pack
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Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

 The Sun Devils, not unexpectedly, were dominant on defense and lead 251-81 in total yards at half. — Jeff Metcalfe, azcentral, "Rewind: Arizona State wins season opener over Kent State," 29 Aug. 2019 The drought is one consequence of long-standing high pressure patterns that have been dominant over southern Alaska all summer, Thoman said. — Madeline Mcgee, Anchorage Daily News, "This summer is on track to be the driest on record for Southcentral Alaska," 23 Aug. 2019 But this would still qualify as a colossal win for South Carolina given how dominant Alabama has been in the College Football Playoff era. — Los Angeles Times, "College football 2019: Which games could provide this year’s major upset?," 23 Aug. 2019 His basic point seems to be that, if Western companies don’t try harder to emulate their Chinese counterparts, the Chinese companies will become dominant. — Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, "“American Factory,” a New Netflix Film from the Obamas, Explores the Challenges of a Globalized Economy," 19 Aug. 2019 Playing up a man, the Timbers were dominant for the majority of the second half, taking nine shots in the final 45 minutes. — Jamie Goldberg, oregonlive.com, "Portland Timbers beat Chicago Fire 3-2 in wild game at Providence Park," 14 Aug. 2019 Here’s the dictionary definition of white supremacy: The belief that white people are superior to people of other races and therefore should be dominant over them. — Margaret Sullivan, Washington Post, "Tucker Carlson’s claim that white supremacy is a hoax is easy to prove wrong. Just watch his show.," 7 Aug. 2019 Ineos was not as dominant as in previous years and, in addition to Alaphilippe's bold moves, had to deal with challenges mounted by Thibaut Pinot's FDJ and Kruijswijk's Jumbo Visma. — Samuel Petrequin, Fox News, "Colombian rider Egan Bernal poised to become youngest Tour de France post-World War II winner," 28 July 2019 That was the reason why the race was raced so differently.’’ Ineos was not as dominant as in previous years and, in addition to Alaphilippe’s bold moves, had to deal with challenges mounted by Thibaut Pinot’s FDJ and Kruijswijk’s Jumbo Visma. — John Leicester, BostonGlobe.com, "Egan Bernal all but secures Colombia's first Tour win," 27 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

 Those who are vata dominant should minimize cold and raw foods and too much caffeine. — Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health.com, "What Is the Ayurvedic Diet—and Can It Help You Lose Weight?," 12 Aug. 2019 The complaint also notes Renard Spivey appears to be right-hand dominant and he was shot through his left thigh area. — Christina Maxouris And Sheena Jones, CNN, "A Texas deputy who appeared on a TV court show has been charged with killing his wife," 31 July 2019 Will Sabonis shed his reluctance to shoot when facing up, spread better than his predecessor Thad Young and not be so left-hand dominant? — J. Michael, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: Pacers will start both Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis. Why? The East demands it," 18 July 2019 New chapters continue to be written at the storied track year after year -- lately with one dominant, main character. — Julius Long And Jill Martin, CNN, "Weekend sports lineup includes Serena Williams and the Big 3 aiming for more Wimbledon glory," 12 July 2019 Irving and Durant are both ball-dominant, scoring-focused players. — New York Times, "N.B.A. Superstars’ New Strategy: Tag-Team a Title," 12 July 2019 But in recent years the rise of the internet and the accession of central and eastern European states have made English dominant. — The Economist, "Brexit is the ideal moment to make English the EU’s common language," 15 June 2019 In a world that expects hierarchy and venerates individual genius, some musicians prefer to see their conductor not as a collaborator, but as a dominant, almost dictatorial leader. — Maya Chung, The New York Review of Books, "When Women Take the Baton," 26 Mar. 2019 The running game still hasn’t found a dominant back since Lynch left. — Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, "Richard Sherman's release signals end of an era for Seattle Seahawks," 9 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dominant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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