preponderance
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of preponderance
First recorded in 1675–85; preponder(ant) + -ance
Explanation
If there's a preponderance of something, there is A LOT of it. If you are a prosecutor, you are looking for a preponderance of evidence to convince the jury that the defendant is guilty. The noun preponderance can also mean "superiority in weight or significance." This meaning is particularly reflective of the word's Latin roots in the word praeponderare, which means "outweigh." The noun can also mean "superiority in influence or importance." A country's economic preponderance, for example, might give it greater influence in international relations.
Vocabulary lists containing preponderance
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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100 SAT words Beginning with "P"
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National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 3
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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.
She wasn’t proved guilty “even by a mere preponderance of the evidence,” Summers wrote, let alone “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
The preponderance of short-term call options can provide extra juice to a stock-market rally because of the dynamic between traders and dealers, SpotGamma explains.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026
As for nontraded BDCs, an Oppenheimer analysis indicates these account for roughly 21% of revenue, which is significant but not the preponderance of the revenue base.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
The preponderance of such signs was uncommon in Laguna Beach, once known for its large gay population and the first openly gay mayor in California.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2024
According to Fenn, “the great preponderance of the evidence” indicates that the Shoshone also transmitted smallpox down the Columbia River into the Pacific Northwest.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
