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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

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

At the same time, though, America’s technological supremacy is attracting enormous amounts of investment capital into its equity markets.

From MarketWatch Jul. 9, 2026

Haaland and Gabriel have been central figures as their clubs battle for domestic supremacy, creating a rivalry that regularly boils over into animosity.

From BBC Jul. 5, 2026

“They’d have supremacy on the sea, though,” Captain Bookout said.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

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