dominate
Americanverb (used with object)
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dominates,
present (3rd person singular)
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dominated,
past participle, past
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dominating
present participle
-
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to tower above; overlook; overshadow.
A tall pine dominated the landscape.
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to predominate, permeate, or characterize.
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Mathematics. (of a series, vector, etc.) to have terms or components greater in absolute value than the corresponding terms or components of a given series, vector, etc.
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Linguistics. (of a node in a tree diagram) to be connected with (a subordinate node) either directly by a single downward branch or indirectly by a sequence of downward branches.
verb (used without object)
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dominates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dominated,
past participle, past
-
dominating
present participle
-
to rule; exercise control; predominate.
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to occupy a commanding or elevated position.
verb
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to control, rule, or govern (someone or something)
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to tower above (surroundings, etc); overlook
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(tr; usually passive) to predominate in (something or someone)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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dominatornoun
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redominateverb
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overdominateverb (used with object)
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dominatingadjective
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dominativeadjective
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nondominatingadjective
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undominatedadjective
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well-dominatedadjective
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dominatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dominatesimple
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dominatessimple
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have dominatedperfect
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has dominatedperfect
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am dominatingprogressive
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are dominatingprogressive
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is dominatingprogressive
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have been dominatingperfect progressive
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has been dominatingperfect progressive
Past
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dominatedsimple
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had dominatedperfect
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was dominatingprogressive
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were dominatingprogressive
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had been dominatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dominate
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin dominātus, past participle of dominārī “to master, control,” from domin(us) “lord, master” + -ārī, infinitive verb suffix
Explanation
If your basketball team is undefeated, you could say that it was able to dominate the competition. To dominate means to be in control or have the power to defeat. Dominate is related to the word domain — which means home. While these words may not seem all that similar, when you are the master of a home or thing, you dominate it. If you get angry, it is wise to not let your feelings dominate you or your actions. Dominate can also mean to be most prominent. If in the woods around your house, oak trees are the most common, you could say that "oak trees dominate the forest."
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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.
See Examples For:
As pocketbook concerns dominate the conversation, climate change gets little attention, although it lurks in the background as worries mount about the cost of insurance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Different physical processes dominate each phase, influencing the rock's appearance, behavior, and eventual fate.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026
While Korean spas dominate Los Angeles’ bathhouse scene, Russian banyas have their own, quieter history in the city.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
Data from OptionMetrics showed that trading in 0DTE options has increasingly come to dominate trading across the S&P 500 options complex.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
Although Ma is thrilled about Theo's engagement, her worries about Vincent dominate her thoughts.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Ever present to the south, Mono Lake dominates the view from the highway.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Even as the AI build-out dominates their attention, investors have been making big moves toward nontechnology sectors.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
What remained unclear was exactly how the brain controls this process, particularly during non-REM sleep, the deep, restorative stage that typically dominates the earlier part of the night.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
As you dip into the valley on the way into Merthyr Tydfil, a new earthy-toned building dominates the view.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
A work area dominates the rest of the space—chairs, a clean desk.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Otherwise, ABC has dominated, with upwards of 10 million tuning in most weeks to the network’s prime-time game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Volkswagen for decades dominated the Chinese market through joint ventures with state-owned automakers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed on Wednesday to cooperate on critical minerals, seeking to diversify supplies in a global sector dominated by China.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
I get it: Both dominated social media recently, albeit for very different reasons.
From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2026
Dust motes danced in the light, the brightness setting off the dark, heavy wooden desk that dominated the room.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
He makes all 12 shots and finishes with 26 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots in a dominating victory over the Warriors in the season opener.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
But they’ve learned the hard way that it won’t work to come at him directly, because he ends up dominating interviews and beguiling those who, like Watters, love his commanding and clever style.
From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2026
Bonds have been dominating the news lately, with U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
It has been a challenging international window for the Republic of Ireland with the Israel double-header dominating discourse in Irish football.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
If anyone understood having to forge one’s own path, navigating everything from his mixed-race identity to dominating a sport where African Americans had never been welcomed, it was Peter.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
