Synonyms

dominate

American

[dom-uh-neyt] / ˈdɒm əˌneɪt /

verb (used with object)

to rule over; govern; control.
to tower above; overlook; overshadow.

A tall pine dominated the landscape.
to predominate, permeate, or characterize.
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.
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)

to rule; exercise control; predominate.
to occupy a commanding or elevated position.

dominate British

/ ˈdɒmɪˌneɪt /

verb

to control, rule, or govern (someone or something)
to tower above (surroundings, etc); overlook
(tr; usually passive) to predominate in (something or someone)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing dominate

Super Bowl Blowout: Epic Vocab for the Big Game

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!

March: Book One

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!

Ghost

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.

See Examples For:

dominate dominates dominated dominating

So why now are teams that dominate the ball dropping points?

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

The e-commerce giant says Meta’s newly released AI agent violated its terms amid competition over who will dominate the agentic shopping experience.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

Insect farming tends to dominate the re-establishment of bird or mammal farms.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

Though women continue to dominate the discipline, more men are participating.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

At 15:00, the designated hour, we stand tense and silent in the back of a room full of screens and computers and watch Beetee and his team try to dominate the airwaves.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

And Premier League history shows us that the more a team dominates games, the more points they win in the long run.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

It next moved into video podcasts, another business YouTube dominates, and started recruiting some of that service’s top shows for adults.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

The topic now dominates both traditional and social media.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

So, one way or another, indexing now dominates the U.S. market.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

The same face dominates the Erudite library; it is plastered across every article Erudite releases.

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

Peach gave them a ninth-minute lead, spinning through the Wigan defence close to the line after making the initial break as they dominated the opening exchanges.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

A battlefield dominated by fully autonomous drones capable of selecting and engaging targets without human intervention sounds like a dystopian sci-fi plot.

From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026

That means the remaining material was overwhelmingly dominated by chondrules.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026

Country music has dominated the charts this year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

To my right was a pillared building whose four cupolas dominated the skyline.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

I believe artificial intelligence has become a dominating subject in America because Americans by nature have imaginations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

When dominating the ball, breaking down a team requires strong one-against-one wingers.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

Bengio stressed that all firms must comply with future AI restrictions, particularly US-based companies that have so far been dominating the sector.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

It’s unclear if the AI business model will result in a single provider dominating the market, or if there will be room for multiple winners.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

This celebration was the first time in days that they could simply enjoy one another’s company without the events of February seventh dominating the conversation.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023