dominant

2 entries found for dominant.
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dominant[1,adjective] dominant[2,noun]

Main Entry: ¹dom·i·nant
Pronunciation: -n&nt
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin dominant-, dominans, present participle of dominari
1 a : commanding, controlling, or prevailing over all others <the dominant culture> b : very important, powerful, or successful <a dominant theme> <a dominant industry>
2 : overlooking and commanding from a superior position <a dominant hill>
3 : of, relating to, or exerting ecological or genetic dominance
4 : being the one of a pair of bodily structures that is the more effective or predominant in action <dominant eye>
- dom·i·nant·ly adverb
synonyms DOMINANT, PREDOMINANT, PARAMOUNT, PREPONDERANT mean superior to all others in influence or importance. DOMINANT applies to something that is uppermost because ruling or controlling <a dominant social class>. PREDOMINANT applies to something that exerts, often temporarily, the most marked influence <a predominant emotion>. PARAMOUNT implies supremacy in importance, rank, or jurisdiction <unemployment was the paramount issue in the campaign>. PREPONDERANT applies to an element or factor that outweighs all others in influence or effect <preponderant evidence in her favor>.