dominance
Americannoun
-
control; authority; rule; supreme influence.
-
the condition of being dominant, or having the authority to influence or control.
-
Psychology. the disposition of an individual to assert control in dealing with others.
-
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.
-
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
- nondominance noun
- self-dominance noun
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Donald Trump Foreign Policy Address
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Since the 1990s, China has systematically built and maintained its dominance in rare-earth minerals, which are essential for various high-tech products.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
Valuations are finally more attractive on a relative basis, while the companies’ dominance in artificial intelligence keeps them firmly at the center of the market’s most important growth story.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 26, 2026
Although Google’s TPUs have posed the biggest challenge to Nvidia’s AI processor dominance so far, the rivalry is still a largely amicable one.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
His task will be to bring the players together and give them the best chance of challenging the Australian dominance of the competition.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
Archaeologists have found no evidence of large-scale warfare at this time, and thus suggest that Hopewell probably did not achieve its dominance by conquest.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
