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.
Can anyone stop the Italian world number one carrying his recent dominance into Roland Garros?
From BBC • May 23, 2026
To teach a computer how to command troops and resources to compete for galactic dominance, DeepMind tested its AI model against the expertise of professional “StarCraft” players such as Dario Wünsch.
From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026
Russians looking for drone interceptors brushed shoulders with entrepreneurs keen to see the latest industrial cleaning technology at a massive industry expo showcasing China's dominance of the drone industry on Thursday.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
The near-total dominance of a trio of weak albums is a sign of a geriatric culture with no interest in slowing its decline.
From Salon • May 21, 2026
“The natural dominance of the master again asserted itself without pretension,” wrote Van Brunt, “and we once more became his willing and happy pupils.”
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
