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Predominant vs. Predominate
Predominant and predominate are synonymous adjectives. Predominant is the older and much more common form. A number of handbooks and commentators hold predominate to be a mistake—a few insisting that the word is only a verb. But they are wrong. As an adjective predominate is somewhat more likely to turn up in technical writing than in general writing. The adverbs predominantly and predominately are a more even match in frequency than their base adjectives are, although predominantly is still significantly more common than predominately.
Examples of predominate in a Sentence
Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
Now that the variant is the predominate strain of the coronavirus in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its guidance, recommending everyone -- vaccinated or not -- wear a mask in public indoor places in areas of substantial or high transmission.
—Hannah Drown, cleveland, 13 Aug. 2021
Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024
If a single cluster predominates, then the AI is selecting an answer from within one collection of options that has a similar factual content.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for predominate 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'predominate.' 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 predominate
Cite this Entry
“Predominate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predominate. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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