domination
Americannoun
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an act or instance of dominating.
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rule or sway; control, often arbitrary.
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Theology. dominations, one of the nine orders of celestial attendants of God.
noun
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the act of dominating or state of being dominated
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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
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Franklin Roosevelt, "Four Freedoms" (1941)
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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.
On Great Britain's 100m performances, he added: "It is domination. Total domination."
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
That's because of the domination of London and the south east of England, which in these most recent awards accounted for 56% of higher honours, while having 27% of the UK's population.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
But it does challenge one of the most persistent messages behind that culture: that men who embrace domination and disregard for women can continue winning without consequences.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
With the ongoing domination of streaming services, many local stations are struggling to compete and maintain viewership.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Numbers aside, their domination of the football team was astounding.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
