dominance

noun

dom·​i·​nance ˈdä-mə-nən(t)s How to pronounce dominance (audio)
ˈdäm-nən(t)s
1
: the fact or state of being dominant: such as
a
sociology : controlling, prevailing, or powerful position especially in a social hierarchy (see hierarchy sense 4)
male dominance
political dominance
companies competing for dominance in the market
dominance over their rivals
b
genetics : the property of one of a pair of alleles or traits that suppresses expression (see expression sense 1b(4)) of the other in the heterozygous condition
c
ecology : the influence or control over ecological communities exerted by a dominant (see dominant entry 2 sense 2b)
2
biology : functional (see functional sense 1b) asymmetry between a pair of bodily structures (such as the right and left hands)
right brain dominance

Examples of dominance in a Sentence

although Napoléon had achieved dominance over the European continent, Great Britain still ruled the waves the professor's dominance in the field of ancient Greek history
Recent Examples on the Web As the world embraces electric vehicles, China’s affordable EVs could be poised for global dominance—a possible future that worries both legacy automakers and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 20 Mar. 2024 In addition to Musk and Murdoch, the award will be presented to billionaire Michael Milken (known for his dominance of the junk bond market in the 1980s before pleading guilty to securities violations), Sylvester Stallone and Martha Stewart. Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2024 Google and Microsoft have been in a race against each other for dominance over generative AI — which took the world by storm in 2023 with the introduction of OpenAI's ChatGPT. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2024 As China’s global manufacturing dominance swells, the stakes are high for automakers, especially in Europe. David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 Avalos’ dominance on the mound shut down the Westmont (1-8, 0-2) offense. Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024 Netflix faced a formidable challenge to its dominance during the streaming wars. Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Politicians use macho displays to assert dominance and not-so-subtly telegraph nostalgia for the old days. James Poniewozik, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 The country’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, is expected to win a third term in office this spring, cementing his own political dominance. Alyssa Ayres, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dominance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see dominant entry 1

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dominance was in 1819

Dictionary Entries Near dominance

Cite this Entry

“Dominance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dominance. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dominance

noun
dom·​i·​nance ˈdäm-(ə-)nən(t)s How to pronounce dominance (audio)
: the fact or state of being dominant: as
a
: the dominant position of an individual in a series of social ranks or levels
b
: the property of one of a pair of alternate forms of a gene or character that prevents or masks expression of the other when both are present in the heterozygous condition
c
: the control or influence over the environment of an ecological community that a dominant has
d
: greater activity and usage of one of a pair of body parts (as the right hand compared to the left hand)

Medical Definition

dominance

noun
dom·​i·​nance ˈdäm(-ə)-nən(t)s How to pronounce dominance (audio)
: the fact or state of being dominant: as
a
: the relative position of an individual in a social hierarchy compare pecking order
b
: the property of one of a pair of alleles or traits that suppresses expression of the other in the heterozygous condition
c
: functional asymmetry between a pair of bodily structures (as the right and left hands)

More from Merriam-Webster on dominance

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!