hegemony

American  

[hi-jem-uh-nee, hej-uh-moh-nee] / hɪˈdʒɛm ə ni, ˈhɛdʒ əˌmoʊ ni /

noun

plural

hegemonies

1. leadership or predominant influence exercised by one nation over others, as in a confederation.

2. leadership; predominance.

3. (especially among smaller nations) aggression or expansionism by large nations in an effort to achieve world domination.

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hegemony British  

/ hɪˈɡɛmənɪ, ˌhɛɡəˈmɒnɪk /

noun

1. ascendancy or domination of one power or state within a league, confederation, etc, or of one social class over others

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Other Word Forms

• antihegemony noun
• hegemonic adjective
• hegemonical adjective

Etymology

Origin of hegemony

First recorded in 1560–70; from Greek hēgemonía “leadership, supremacy,” equivalent to hēgemon- (stem of hēgemṓn ) “leader” + -ia -y ³

Explanation

Hegemony is political or cultural dominance or authority over others. The hegemony of the popular kids over the other students means that they determine what is and is not cool. Hegemony comes from the Greek hegemon "leader." Wealthy lender nations hoping to determine political outcomes and trade decisions have established hegemony over the debtor nations they lend to. As well as the dominance of one group or nation over others, hegemony is also the term for the leading group or nation itself. During the American Revolution, colonists fought to throw off the British hegemony.

Example Sentences

Among the young, "hegemony" has slipped into everyday speech, shorthand for India's long shadow over Bangladesh.

From BBC • Feb. 8, 2026

Historically, those discussions were largely confined to tech regulators, politicians, and those in civil society aggravated by Silicon Valley hegemony and the impact on consumers.

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026

“King of Kings” by Scott Anderson and “Chokepoints” by Edward Fishman are fascinating portraits of the fragility of American hegemony.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

Butchart opines that the rest of the world is – explicitly or implicitly – opposed to unchallenged U.S. financial hegemony.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 16, 2025

They were convinced that he was continuing to grow as a player, and that unless something were done quickly, he’d smash the Soviets’ hegemony.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady