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dominate

verb
dom·​i·​nate | \ ˈdä-mə-ˌnāt How to pronounce dominate (audio) \
dominated; dominating

Definition of dominate

transitive verb

1 : rule, control an empire that dominated the world
2 : to exert the supreme determining or guiding influence on the ambition that has dominated his life
3 : to overlook from a superior elevation or command because of superior height or position a hill that dominates the town
4a : to be predominant in sugar maples dominate the forest
b : to have a commanding or preeminent place or position in name brands dominate the market

intransitive verb

1 : to have or exert mastery, control, or preeminence his desire to dominate a dominating factor in industrial growth
2 : to occupy a more elevated or superior position
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Other Words from dominate

dominative \ ˈdä-​mə-​ˌnā-​tiv How to pronounce dominative (audio) \ adjective
dominator \ ˈdä-​mə-​ˌnā-​tər How to pronounce dominator (audio) \ noun

Examples of dominate in a Sentence

One company has dominated the market for years. He dominated her life for many years. His work dominated the art scene last year. Our team dominated throughout the game. Our team dominated play throughout the game.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Earlier Sunday, Roger Federer kept up his recent surge, dominating No. — Howard Fendrich, baltimoresun.com, "Serena Williams holds on for US Open win despite twisting ankle; Roger Federer dominates," 1 Sep. 2019 Earlier Sunday, Roger Federer kept up his recent surge, dominating No. — Howard Fendrich, chicagotribune.com, "Serena Williams turns her right ankle but holds on to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals," 1 Sep. 2019 The respective pre-match moods were certainly reflected throughout the game, as Celtic dominated for large spells. — SI.com, "Rangers 0-2 Celtic: Twitter Reacts as Hoops Draw First Blood in Scottish Premiership Title Race," 1 Sep. 2019 The Wolverines suffered a disappointing opener in a big loss to Palm Beach Lakes, while the Raiders dominated Boca Raton. — Adam Lichtenstein, sun-sentinel.com, "Week 2 high school football predictions in Broward and Palm Beach counties," 28 Aug. 2019 Robinson scored a season-high 23 points, added eight assists and grabbed three rebounds as the Lynx dominated the second half in a 98-77 win over Las Vegas at Target Center. — Mike Cook, Twin Cities, "Danielle Robinson leads Lynx past first-place Las Vegas," 25 Aug. 2019 The French were early waffle pioneers, though the Dutch soon dominated. — Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, "I Replaced My Oven With a Waffle Maker, and You Should Too," 24 Aug. 2019 Maplesville beats Fultondale Ryan Morrow ran for 283 yards and scored four touchdowns as Maplesville dominated Fultondale 40-6 Friday in opening night action. — Al.com Reports, al, "Birmingham roundup: Oak Mountain, Mountain Brook earn wins," 24 Aug. 2019 Now known as Puppy Gate, the scandal dominated this season’s storyline. — Robyn Merrett, PEOPLE.com, "Lisa Vanderpump's Restaurant Blasts Guest Claiming They Got Sick and Defecated on Floor," 21 Aug. 2019

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

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First Known Use of dominate

1611, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

History and Etymology for dominate

Latin dominatus, past participle of dominari, from dominus master; akin to Latin domus house — more at dome

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More Definitions for dominate

dominate

verb
How to pronounce dominate (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of dominate

: to have control of or power over (someone or something)
: to be the most important part of (something)
: to be much more powerful or successful than others in a game, competition, etc.

See the full definition for dominate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

dominate

verb
dom·​i·​nate | \ ˈdä-mə-ˌnāt How to pronounce dominate (audio) \
dominated; dominating

Kids Definition of dominate

: to have a commanding position or controlling power over The mountain dominates the landscape.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dominate

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with dominate

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dominate

Spanish Central: Translation of dominate

Nglish: Translation of dominate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of dominate for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dominate

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