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
Synonyms
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
On the other hand, the dominance of mini-majors like Focus Features and Sony Pictures Classics allowed newer sounds to gain major attention, as bands like Mogwai and Tindersticks were invited to expand the idea of what movie scores could be.
—
Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
Voters will soon choose a new state attorney and public defender as the long dominance of prosecutor Dave Aronberg (12 years in office) and Public Defender Carey Haughwout (24 years) come to an end.
—Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 10 Aug. 2024
That’s why rules like those used for the June CNN debate between Trump and then-candidate Joe Biden make sense: no jeering crowds, no dominance by willingness to speak over everyone, no endless back-and-forth.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 10 Aug. 2024
Between the lines: Both companies were created as a result of mega-mergers, yet neither are considered big enough to compete with Big Tech for streaming dominance.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dominance 
Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
Voters will soon choose a new state attorney and public defender as the long dominance of prosecutor Dave Aronberg (12 years in office) and Public Defender Carey Haughwout (24 years) come to an end.
—Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 10 Aug. 2024
That’s why rules like those used for the June CNN debate between Trump and then-candidate Joe Biden make sense: no jeering crowds, no dominance by willingness to speak over everyone, no endless back-and-forth.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 10 Aug. 2024
Between the lines: Both companies were created as a result of mega-mergers, yet neither are considered big enough to compete with Big Tech for streaming dominance.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dominance
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.
Dictionary Entries Near dominance
Cite this Entry
“Dominance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dominance. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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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