hegemony
Americannoun
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leadership or predominant influence exercised by one nation over others, as in a confederation.
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leadership; predominance.
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(especially among smaller nations) aggression or expansionism by large nations in an effort to achieve world domination.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of hegemony
First recorded in 1560–70; from Greek hēgemonía “leadership, supremacy,” equivalent to hēgemon- (stem of hēgemṓn ) “leader” + -ia -y 3
Explanation
Hegemony is political or cultural dominance or authority over others. The hegemony of the popular kids over the other students means that they determine what is and is not cool. Hegemony comes from the Greek hegemon "leader." Wealthy lender nations hoping to determine political outcomes and trade decisions have established hegemony over the debtor nations they lend to. As well as the dominance of one group or nation over others, hegemony is also the term for the leading group or nation itself. During the American Revolution, colonists fought to throw off the British hegemony.
Vocabulary lists containing hegemony
100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Grade 10, List 5
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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.
Much of the narrative surrounding the dollar last year focused on predictions of de-dollarization, an end to its hegemony in currency markets and the expectations of central banks’ reserves diversification.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 19, 2026
Every few years, some geopolitical friction sends commentators racing to declare the end of dollar hegemony and the collapse of the petrodollar.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Offa certainly established hegemony over East Anglia and Kent.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
Gorsuch, Neil M. T. “Overcoming a hegemony of ideas,” Columbia Spectator, Feb. 25, 1987.
From Slate • May 13, 2026
In the third century BC the era of Greek hegemony was over.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
