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.
This is far away from the high drama of the race for chip dominance between the U.S. and China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
China and the United States are locked in a race for dominance in the fast-moving artificial intelligence sector.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
Luka Doncic continues his recent run of dominance, finishing with 42 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds in a 138-117 win over the Miami Heat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
Joe Newell found space and dominance in the middle of the park.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
That social structure is ideal for domestication, because humans in effect take over the dominance hierarchy.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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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.
