domination
Americannoun
-
an act or instance of dominating.
-
rule or sway; control, often arbitrary.
-
Theology. dominations, one of the nine orders of celestial attendants of God.
noun
-
the act of dominating or state of being dominated
-
authority; rule; control
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of domination
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin dominātiōn-, stem of dominātiō “mastery, rule,” from domināt(us) “controlled” (past participle of domināre “to master, control”; see dominate) + -iō -ion; replacing Middle English dominacioun, from Anglo-French
Explanation
Domination means total control. Most comic book villains — and a few real people, too — spend their lives in pursuit of world domination. Domination comes from the Latin word dominus, meaning "master" or "lord." This word conveys the idea not just of leadership, but of absolute, unchallengeable authority. So, just because your boss is in charge of the office doesn’t mean she engages in domination. Wait until she forces you to remove hundreds of staples by hand while she sends your coworker all the way to Costa Rica to fetch the coffee. But we hope it never comes to that.
Vocabulary lists containing domination
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 4
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 New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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!
Franklin Roosevelt, "Four Freedoms" (1941)
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.
However, in truth, given Montpellier's clinical edge and domination in the pack, it probably would not have made much difference over the course of 80 minutes.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
Indeed, the film mirrors real-life developments in the world of journalism - staffing cuts, dwindling print numbers and digital domination.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
When the PCC was born in August 1993 inside the grimy walls of the Taubaté high-security prison in São Paulo state, its founders weren’t seeking world domination.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
“The Christian tradition does not find its hope in domination or force, but in the paradox of the cross,” Del Brocco told Salon.
From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026
Now everyone’s pretending to set the record straight: they’ll have their hearings, while Mobutu makes a show of changing all European-sounding place names to indigenous ones, to rid us of the sound of foreign domination.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
