dominate
Americanverb (used with object)
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dominates,
present (3rd person singular)
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dominated,
past participle, past
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dominating
present participle
-
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to tower above; overlook; overshadow.
A tall pine dominated the landscape.
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to predominate, permeate, or characterize.
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Mathematics. (of a series, vector, etc.) to have terms or components greater in absolute value than the corresponding terms or components of a given series, vector, etc.
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Linguistics. (of a node in a tree diagram) to be connected with (a subordinate node) either directly by a single downward branch or indirectly by a sequence of downward branches.
verb (used without object)
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dominates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dominated,
past participle, past
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dominating
present participle
-
to rule; exercise control; predominate.
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to occupy a commanding or elevated position.
verb
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to control, rule, or govern (someone or something)
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to tower above (surroundings, etc); overlook
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(tr; usually passive) to predominate in (something or someone)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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dominatornoun
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redominateverb
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overdominateverb (used with object)
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dominatingadjective
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dominativeadjective
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nondominatingadjective
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undominatedadjective
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well-dominatedadjective
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dominatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dominatesimple
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dominatessimple
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have dominatedperfect
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has dominatedperfect
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am dominatingprogressive
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are dominatingprogressive
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is dominatingprogressive
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have been dominatingperfect progressive
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has been dominatingperfect progressive
Past
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dominatedsimple
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had dominatedperfect
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was dominatingprogressive
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were dominatingprogressive
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had been dominatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dominate
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin dominātus, past participle of dominārī “to master, control,” from domin(us) “lord, master” + -ārī, infinitive verb suffix
Explanation
If your basketball team is undefeated, you could say that it was able to dominate the competition. To dominate means to be in control or have the power to defeat. Dominate is related to the word domain — which means home. While these words may not seem all that similar, when you are the master of a home or thing, you dominate it. If you get angry, it is wise to not let your feelings dominate you or your actions. Dominate can also mean to be most prominent. If in the woods around your house, oak trees are the most common, you could say that "oak trees dominate the forest."
Vocabulary lists containing dominate
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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.
See Examples For:
But the scandal is unlikely to "dominate the agenda" or affect Trump and Xi's personal relationship, predicted Dylan Loh of Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.
From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2026
And because those funds dominate most people’s retirement accounts, ask not for whom this particular bell tolls.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2026
The Cybertruck certainly provided some sizzle in 2019 when Tesla’s stock price was sliding and Musk appeared to be losing some of his ability to dominate the conversation inside and outside the auto industry.
From Slate ● Nov. 9, 2026
Nvidia Corp. is a global tech company based in Santa Clara, Calif., whose graphic processing units, or GPUs, dominate the market for AI chips.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026
On the other hand, if the stars got a bit farther away from each other, the repulsive forces would dominate and drive them farther apart.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
Nvidia dominates the market for the microchips, which are used to power the new technology.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
But the start of the gathering was overshadowed by the scandal that has engulfed Nvidia, the US company that dominates the market for chips used in leading AI systems.
From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2026
SpaceX’s launch business, which brought in $1.8 billion in third-quarter revenue, dominates the industry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
China, which dominates commercial shipbuilding, is also investing in nuclear-powered vessels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
"My anxiety for her dominates all my thoughts,” Garfield wrote in his diary, "and makes me feel that I am fit for nothing.”
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Myles Garrett returned to the lineup and dominated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2026
The story has dominated the media in Australia and caused headlines around the cricketing world.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026
“Gold remains in the midst of a broader downward trend, dominated by waves of short-term, unsustainable recovery,” XS.com senior market analyst Samer Hasn says in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026
Lumina begins approximately 45 million years after the Big Bang, during an era when neutral hydrogen dominated the universe.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2026
“Sit,” said Rafi Edelman before turning to a large bookcase, positively bursting with books, that dominated one wall.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Mogging - not to be confused with mugging or mugging someone off - refers to outshining or dominating someone, most often in looks.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Horror’s surge has also yielded more films designed to play with our perception as opposed to the “Saw”-style torture porn dominating years past.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026
He makes all 12 shots and finishes with 26 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots in a dominating victory over the Warriors in the season opener.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
Genres, in that sense, also feels refreshing, emphasizing actual books and tactile media at a cultural moment when AI is often dominating conversations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Before Peach, Grace hadn’t really given her biological mom much thought, but now this strange woman kept dominating her mind.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
