dominate

verb

dom·​i·​nate ˈdä-mə-ˌnāt How to pronounce dominate (audio)
dominated; dominating

transitive verb

1
: rule, control
an empire that dominated the world
2
: to exert the supreme determining or guiding influence on
the ambition that has dominated his life
3
: to overlook from a superior elevation or command because of superior height or position
a hill that dominates the town
4
a
: to be predominant in
sugar maples dominate the forest
b
: to have a commanding or preeminent place or position in
name brands dominate the market

intransitive verb

1
: to have or exert mastery, control, or preeminence
his desire to dominate
a dominating factor in industrial growth
2
: to occupy a more elevated or superior position
dominative adjective
dominator noun

Examples of dominate in a Sentence

One company has dominated the market for years. He dominated her life for many years. His work dominated the art scene last year. Our team dominated throughout the game. Our team dominated play throughout the game.
Recent Examples on the Web No single artist dominated, but all three, along with rapper Tobi, Indigenous singer-songwriter Aysanabee, and producer-engineer Shawn Everett took home a pair of trophies each. Karen Bliss, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024 Byron dominated both stages but gave up the stage wins to make late pit stops, and now is poised to reclaim the lead over the final 20 laps of the race. Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2024 Rain was forecast to return at night, but not before Gauff dominated Podoroska 6-1, 6-2. Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2024 Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 22 Mar. 2024 But over the years, the Apple Watch has dominated as the number one smartwatch in the world. Victoria Song, The Verge, 22 Mar. 2024 The Wildcats looked the part of tournament favorites, executing on both ends of the court and dominating the second half in Salt Lake City. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024 Last season, liquid blushes dominated the beauty counters, but now powder stick blushes have taken the spotlight. Essence, 21 Mar. 2024 Edey will be neutralized, and the quicker Cougars will dominate. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dominate.' 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

Latin dominatus, past participle of dominari, from dominus master; akin to Latin domus house — more at dome

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dominate was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near dominate

Cite this Entry

“Dominate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dominate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dominate

verb
dom·​i·​nate ˈdäm-ə-ˌnāt How to pronounce dominate (audio)
dominated; dominating
1
: to have a commanding position or controlling power over
2
: to seem to command by rising high above
a volcano dominates the island
domination
ˌdäm-ə-ˈnā-shən
noun
dominative adjective
dominator noun
Etymology

derived from Latin dominari "to rule, govern, control," from dominus "master, owner" — related to condominium, dame, domain, dominion, don entry 2

More from Merriam-Webster on dominate

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