dominance
Americannoun
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control; authority; rule; supreme influence.
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the condition of being dominant, or having the authority to influence or control.
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Psychology. the disposition of an individual to assert control in dealing with others.
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Animal Behavior. high status in a social group, usually acquired as the result of aggression, that involves the tendency to take priority in access to limited resources, as food, mates, or space.
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Neurology. the normal tendency for one side of the brain to be more important than the other in controlling certain functions, as speech and language.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dominance
First recorded in 1810–20; domin(ant) + -ance
Explanation
When you have power over others you are said to have dominance. For years, the British Empire had dominance over much of the world, ruling vast stretches of Africa, India, and Asia. In packs of animals, the males will often fight to determine dominance, i.e., who is top dog. Or top lion. This happens in classrooms too, with the teacher needing to establish dominance over unruly students. If your football team has dominance over its league, it means they usually beat—or dominate—most of the other teams in the league.
Vocabulary lists containing dominance
Trumps
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"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Donald Trump Foreign Policy Address
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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.
Investors view Lilly, a favorite for its dominance in the GLP-1 market, as one of the industry’s greatest success stories.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
Analysts see the new offering as a direct challenge to the CME’s longstanding dominance in livestock futures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Such was their dominance, they could have easily scored more.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
When it comes to dominance, no one compares to the Real Madrid side who stormed to five successive European Cup triumphs after the competition began in 1955.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
“I am Dracula,” Maddie said, her voice reverberating with power and dominance.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
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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.
