predominant
Americanadjective
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having ascendancy, power, authority, or influence over others; preeminent.
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preponderant; prominent.
a predominant trait; the predominant color of a painting.
adjective
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having superiority in power, influence, etc, over others
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prevailing; prominent
Related Words
See dominant.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of predominant
1570–80; < Medieval Latin praedominant- (stem of praedomināns ), present participle of praedominārī to predominate. See pre-, dominant
Explanation
If you’re talking about the most popular or common thing, call it predominant. If the predominant feeling in a neighborhood is that pizza is the best food, the result might be pizzerias being the predominant type of restaurant there. The adjective predominant describes a person or thing with great power or influence, or something that is prevalent. It comes from the Latin prefix prae-, “before,” and dominari, “to rule.” For example, because so many people like hip-hop, it might be the predominant music heard at a school dance. And that neighborhood with all the pizzerias? Teenagers are the predominant customers, and pepperoni is the predominant topping.
Vocabulary lists containing predominant
30 GRE Words Beginning with "P"
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"'Blaxicans' and Other Reinvented Americans," Vocabulary from the argument
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 3
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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.
“That certainly makes investors nervous, but it may stay low as long as inflation is the predominant risk to the market outlook.”
From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026
After searching for a new rental property she and her partner realised they could no longer afford to stay in London, particularly as Georgie was the "predominant breadwinner".
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Even though China is a country that encompasses 56 ethnic minorities and at least seven distinctive language groups, the predominant image of what “Chinese culture” is on social media cannot really accurately capture these nuances.
From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026
For many decades after the country’s inception, theatrical forms from Britain and Europe remained predominant in the cities where theatrical productions were allowed to take place.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
Over the past 13,000 years the predominant trend in human society has been the replacement of smaller, less complex units by larger, more complex ones.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
