dominate
Americanverb (used with object)
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dominates,
present (3rd person singular)
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dominated,
past participle, past
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dominating
present participle
-
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to tower above; overlook; overshadow.
A tall pine dominated the landscape.
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to predominate, permeate, or characterize.
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Mathematics. (of a series, vector, etc.) to have terms or components greater in absolute value than the corresponding terms or components of a given series, vector, etc.
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Linguistics. (of a node in a tree diagram) to be connected with (a subordinate node) either directly by a single downward branch or indirectly by a sequence of downward branches.
verb (used without object)
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dominates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dominated,
past participle, past
-
dominating
present participle
-
to rule; exercise control; predominate.
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to occupy a commanding or elevated position.
verb
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to control, rule, or govern (someone or something)
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to tower above (surroundings, etc); overlook
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(tr; usually passive) to predominate in (something or someone)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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dominatornoun
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redominateverb
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overdominateverb (used with object)
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dominatingadjective
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dominativeadjective
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nondominatingadjective
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undominatedadjective
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well-dominatedadjective
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dominatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dominatesimple
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dominatessimple
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have dominatedperfect
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has dominatedperfect
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am dominatingprogressive
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are dominatingprogressive
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is dominatingprogressive
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have been dominatingperfect progressive
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has been dominatingperfect progressive
Past
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dominatedsimple
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had dominatedperfect
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was dominatingprogressive
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were dominatingprogressive
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had been dominatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dominate
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin dominātus, past participle of dominārī “to master, control,” from domin(us) “lord, master” + -ārī, infinitive verb suffix
Explanation
If your basketball team is undefeated, you could say that it was able to dominate the competition. To dominate means to be in control or have the power to defeat. Dominate is related to the word domain — which means home. While these words may not seem all that similar, when you are the master of a home or thing, you dominate it. If you get angry, it is wise to not let your feelings dominate you or your actions. Dominate can also mean to be most prominent. If in the woods around your house, oak trees are the most common, you could say that "oak trees dominate the forest."
Vocabulary lists containing dominate
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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.
See Examples For:
According to their calculations, the particle may have survived long enough to temporarily dominate the universe's energy density as the cosmos cooled after the Big Bang.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026
High pressure has been building and is set to dominate across the UK in the coming days.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
While Korean spas dominate Los Angeles’ bathhouse scene, Russian banyas have their own, quieter history in the city.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
As a smaller carrier, it has struggled to go up against the behemoths that dominate the U.S. airline industry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
I did not by any means dominate the High Organ, and in fact, a number of proposals that I felt strongly about were rejected.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
SpaceX’s launch business, which brought in $1.8 billion in third-quarter revenue, dominates the industry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
Even as the AI build-out dominates their attention, investors have been making big moves toward nontechnology sectors.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
From the company’s Shanghai studios, crews broadcast live on the apps for 12 hours a day, while shoppers bombard them with comments and questions in a chat that dominates part of the screen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
Meredith Whittaker has little patience for the AI doom that dominates headlines - she thinks warnings of AI turning on humanity is a fear "not anchored in science".
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
The same face dominates the Erudite library; it is plastered across every article Erudite releases.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
Long dominated by mass-market Hindi-language Bollywood, Indian cinema churns out around 2,000 films each year and has been expanding its global appeal.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
The issue of reparations, compensation to those who were the victims of slavery, has dominated debate in the build up to this summit, in which representatives from 56 Commonwealth countries are meeting.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
China has dominated the U.S. in manufacturing for decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
With each new discovery, researchers are gaining a clearer picture of the remarkable state of matter that dominated the universe during its first fleeting moments after the Big Bang.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
Compared to the other tragedies, which were dominated by recognizable principles of justice no matter how harsh, it was a triumph of barbarism over reason: dark, chaotic, inexplicable.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Mogging - not to be confused with mugging or mugging someone off - refers to outshining or dominating someone, most often in looks.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Horror’s surge has also yielded more films designed to play with our perception as opposed to the “Saw”-style torture porn dominating years past.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026
Genres, in that sense, also feels refreshing, emphasizing actual books and tactile media at a cultural moment when AI is often dominating conversations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
When Brighton were pushed deeper, Arsenal might've expected that things would play out like most games do for them - with them dominating the ball in the opposition's third against a low block.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Like more of the great orators than one cares to mention, Cicero was not a naturally dominating presence.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
