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
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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."
Vocabulary lists containing dominate
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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:
Along with SpaceX, the companies dominate the AI leaderboards, but more competition could threaten their status and targeted public valuations.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
The conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, along with global trade turbulence and energy security, will dominate the two-day meeting of the 11-nation bloc.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
The Rams entered the 2026 season as the favorite to win the Super Bowl, but Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers dominate them in a 27-7 win.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Others argue that the concerns themselves are overblown, noting that intelligence doesn’t always manifest as a will to dominate.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
Three times, though, cultures rose to dominate the Andes, uniting previously separate groups under a common banner.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
When a scientific controversy or breakthrough dominates headlines, press officers and journalists often quote a handful of experts.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026
"Bihar dominates in scale. Uttar Pradesh is second and often under-reported," says Pradeep Man Dangol, hydrologist at ICIMOD.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
So, one way or another, indexing now dominates the U.S. market.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
For decades, scientists have struggled to understand the invisible game of tug-of-war that dominates our universe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Across the country, the upper middle class so dominates elite universities that high-income students, on average, actually get slightly more financial aid from colleges than low- income students do.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
But, unlike the election campaign in 2022, the run-up to Sunday's vote was dominated by different issues, like the rising cost of living and the need to protect the welfare state.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
Stereotypes of violent Northmen, sailing to slaughter and pillage, long dominated representations of the Viking Age, the period from around 750 to 1050 when Norse raiders and colonists spread throughout Europe and far beyond.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
She also had genuinely low inflammatory levels, a gut microbiome dominated by beneficial bifidobacteria, and an epigenetic biological age that was younger than her chronological age.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
Many saw Nims as an incredible climber who helped Nepalese climbers gain international recognition in a field dominated by foreigners.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
The pilots broke toward the flight line and the open hangars dominated by the sleek, predatory presence of the F-8’s.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
The third match saw Auston Kim and Rose Zhang from the US dominating Nastasia Nadaud and Leona Maguire, never slipping behind and cruising to a 3&2 win.
From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026
In fact, the incentive is to keep pushing forward no matter consequence, in the hopes of dominating the market with the most powerful AI thing, meaning the most lucrative as well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
Beyond Odesa, a national poll showed 80% support for Ukrainian dominating "all spheres of communication" in 2022.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
With the spooky genre dominating theaters, it was only a matter of time before the studios reopened their vaults to reboot classics as TV series.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
Fire is a dominating factor in many if not most terrestrial landscapes.
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.
