dominance

dominance — noun

1. the state of being the most important, powerful, or successful person or thing i

1.nounB2
Definition

the state of being the most important, powerful, or successful person or thing in a particular area or situation.

Example

Mayumi's dominance in the world of classical piano earned her invitations to perform across Europe.

noun + 'in' + field of expertise

The company built its dominance in solar technology through years of careful research.

Common collocations
  • global dominance
  • economic dominance
  • cultural dominance
  • military dominance
  • position of dominance
Synonyms
  • supremacy

    stronger than dominance — suggests being the absolute highest, often with no close rival

  • pre-eminence

    more formal; emphasises being outstandingly good or respected rather than forceful

  • ascendancy

    suggests a rising or growing position of power, often over rivals

Antonyms
  • inferiority

    the state of being lower in rank, quality, or importance

Common Mistakes

The company has dominance on the market.
The company has dominance in the market.
Use 'in', not 'on', when referring to a field or industry.
Her dominance over the competition was obvious.' (grammatically correct but)
Her dominance of the competition was obvious.
Both 'over' and 'of' are used, but 'dominance of' is more common when referring to a field or group.

2. the act of controlling or commanding others, often by using force, strength, or

2.nounB2
Definition

the act of controlling or commanding others, often by using force, strength, or a strong personality.

Example

The alpha wolf kept its dominance through quiet threats rather than actual fights.

animal behaviour: social hierarchy

Devika's dominance in team meetings came from her ability to stay calm when tensions rose.

Common collocations
  • assert dominance
  • establish dominance
  • maintain dominance
  • dominance hierarchy
  • dominance struggle
Synonyms
  • authority

    focuses on the right to command, not necessarily through force

  • control

    more about direct power over someone's actions; less about status

  • mastery

    suggests skill-based command rather than social power

Antonyms
  • submission

    the act of accepting someone else's power or authority

  • subordination

    the state of being lower in rank or position

Usage Note

Often appears in the phrase 'assert (one's) dominance', describing behaviour meant to show power or authority over others.

Common Mistakes

The manager asserted dominance on the team.
The manager asserted dominance over the team.
Use 'over', not 'on', when one person or group dominates another.

3. the property of a gene that causes a particular physical characteristic to appea

3.nounC1
Definition

the property of a gene that causes a particular physical characteristic to appear in a living thing whenever the gene is present, even if a different version of the same gene is also there.

Example

In pea plants, the round-seed gene shows dominance over the wrinkled-seed gene.

genetics: 'shows dominance over'

Amira learned that brown eye colour has genetic dominance over blue eye colour in humans.

Common collocations
  • genetic dominance
  • complete dominance
  • dominant allele
  • dominance relationship
  • pattern of dominance
Synonyms
  • heritability

    a broader term referring to how traits pass from parent to offspring, not specifically to the masking effect

Antonyms
  • recessiveness

    the property of a gene that only produces its effect when paired with an identical copy

Usage Note

Used in genetics. The opposite concept is recessiveness. A dominant gene is typically written with a capital letter (A) and a recessive gene with a lowercase letter (a).

Common Mistakes

Brown eyes are a dominant.
The gene for brown eyes is dominant.
The gene itself is dominant, not the physical trait that results from it.

4. the natural tendency for one side of a person's body to work better or be prefer

4.nounC2
Definition

the natural tendency for one side of a person's body to work better or be preferred for tasks, as seen in handedness or footedness.

Example

Élise's left-hand dominance was simply a result of normal brain development.

bodily asymmetry: handedness

Doctors tested each patient for foot dominance by asking them to kick a ball.

Common collocations
  • hand dominance
  • foot dominance
  • eye dominance
  • cerebral dominance
  • hemisphere dominance
Synonyms
  • laterality

    the formal technical term for preference of one side of the body

  • handedness

    specific to hand preference; the most familiar type of bodily dominance

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words all describe being above others, but they differ in tone and context. 'Supremacy' is the strongest — it suggests being the highest with no equal, often used in military or political contexts (naval supremacy). 'Pre-eminence' is more formal and intellectual, describing outstanding achievement or recognition rather than force (pre-eminence in scientific research). 'Ascendancy' emphasises the process of rising to power, often temporary or contested (the ascendancy of a political party). 'Superiority' can mean higher quality or numerical advantage (technical superiority), but it carries a more neutral, comparative tone than the others. For everyday situations like a company leading a market or an athlete dominating a sport, 'dominance' and 'supremacy' are the most natural choices, while 'pre-eminence' fits academic or artistic fields.

supremacypre-eminenceascendancysuperiority

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • assert dominance
  • maintain dominance
  • establish dominance
  • challenge dominance
  • position of dominance
  • bid for dominance
  • struggle for dominance

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Comes from Latin 'dominantia', meaning 'lordship' or 'rule', which developed from 'dominari' ('to be lord over'), based on 'dominus' ('lord, master'). The word passed through French before entering English in the early 1800s, originally used in legal and political contexts before broadening to science and everyday use.