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Synonyms

supremacy

American  
[suh-prem-uh-see, soo-] / səˈprɛm ə si, sʊ- /

noun

  1. the state of being supreme.

  2. supreme authority or power.


supremacy British  
/ sʊˈprɛməsɪ, sjʊ- /

noun

  1. supreme power; authority

  2. the quality or condition of being supreme

"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

Etymology

Origin of supremacy

First recorded in 1540–50; supreme + -acy

Explanation

Supremacy is the state of having the ultimate authority. A ruling king has supremacy over his kingdom. When one group dominates another, it has supremacy. One country's army might have military supremacy over another, or your favorite baseball team might gain supremacy in the third game of the World Series, meaning it has power over the other team in the series. Supremacy comes from the Latin word supremus, which means highest.

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Vocabulary lists containing supremacy

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:

This week’s Amicus also launches their first installment of By the People, in which Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern explore how and when the idea of judicial supremacy took over.

From Slate Jul. 23, 2026

China’s rapid advances in AI has been spurred in part by Beijing’s efforts to become self-sufficient as it competes for technological supremacy against the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 17, 2026

But the genre also requires action, adventure, enlightenment, struggle, the guest-host relationship observed by the ancients and the supremacy of brains over brawn.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 16, 2026

As the U.S. and China race for artificial-intelligence supremacy, cutting-edge technology is increasingly becoming a national-security concern.

From MarketWatch Jul. 11, 2026

Its supremacy was commercial and intellectual; it was based less on infantry troops than on innovative technology.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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