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
Adding Xiaomi to the mix only extends its dominance.
—
Janhoi McGregor, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
But Altman, too, has quietly gained the president’s confidence, albeit with a much narrower appeal to American-AI dominance.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2025
Will Wolves continue their dominance, or can Fulham spoil the party at Molineux?
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
Bezos’ Amazon is also still facing a lawsuit from the FTC and 17 states, who accuse the company of abusing its economic dominance and harming fair competition.
—Liam Reilly, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dominance
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Janhoi McGregor, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
But Altman, too, has quietly gained the president’s confidence, albeit with a much narrower appeal to American-AI dominance.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2025
Will Wolves continue their dominance, or can Fulham spoil the party at Molineux?
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
Bezos’ Amazon is also still facing a lawsuit from the FTC and 17 states, who accuse the company of abusing its economic dominance and harming fair competition.
—Liam Reilly, CNN, 26 Feb. 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 13 Mar. 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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