supremacy
Americannoun
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supreme power; authority
-
the quality or condition of being supreme
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of supremacy
Explanation
Supremacy is the state of having the ultimate authority. A ruling king has supremacy over his kingdom. When one group dominates another, it has supremacy. One country's army might have military supremacy over another, or your favorite baseball team might gain supremacy in the third game of the World Series, meaning it has power over the other team in the series. Supremacy comes from the Latin word supremus, which means highest.
Vocabulary lists containing supremacy
Power Suffix: -acy
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Trumps
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President Biden's Inaugural Speech (January 2021)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Like Sam’s AI use, the industry itself has gotten more sophisticated, and tech juggernauts and startups are locked in a race for supremacy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
And I think there is real danger in only ruling against him in cases that genuinely threaten judicial supremacy.
From Slate • Jun. 1, 2026
The key narrative in the men's game over the past two seasons has been the battle for supremacy between Sinner and Alcaraz, with the pair winning the past nine majors between them.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
He said that the Commerce Department’s investment marks a “bold step” to secure “U.S. supremacy and competitiveness through developing at-scale fabrication and device capabilities.”
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
The only serious contender for primacy was Benjamin Franklin, but just before his death in 1790, Franklin himself acknowledged Washington’s supremacy.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
