dominance
noun
dom·i·nance
ˈdä-mə-nən(t)s 
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
To be sure, Republican dominance in the 2030s is not a foregone conclusion.
—
Jonathan J. Cooper and Kevin S. Vineys, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
While Beijing holds a significant position in the group, there is still much internal caution amongst other member nations over Beijing’s dominance and potential trade imbalances, according to MIT’s Papas.
—Abby Ryanto, CNBC, 17 Jan. 2025
The service would be a direct challenge to SpaceX's dominance in the commercial spaceflight market.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025
Thanks to iOS’s dominance, the iPhone 16 has arguably the best video in any smartphone, plus countless third-party apps that further enhance the camera’s hardware capabilities, including Blackmagic’s ridiculously detailed video camera app.
—Anshel Sag, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dominance
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Jonathan J. Cooper and Kevin S. Vineys, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
While Beijing holds a significant position in the group, there is still much internal caution amongst other member nations over Beijing’s dominance and potential trade imbalances, according to MIT’s Papas.
—Abby Ryanto, CNBC, 17 Jan. 2025
The service would be a direct challenge to SpaceX's dominance in the commercial spaceflight market.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025
Thanks to iOS’s dominance, the iPhone 16 has arguably the best video in any smartphone, plus countless third-party apps that further enhance the camera’s hardware capabilities, including Blackmagic’s ridiculously detailed video camera app.
—Anshel Sag, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dominance
Cite this Entry
“Dominance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dominance. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dominance
noun
dom·i·nance
ˈdäm-(ə-)nən(t)s
: 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
: 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)
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