hegemony

[ hi-jem-uh-nee, hej-uh-moh-nee ]

noun

, plural he·gem·o·nies.

1. leadership or predominant influence exercised by one nation over others, as in a confederation.
2. leadership; predominance.
3. (especially among smaller nations) aggression or expansionism by large nations in an effort to achieve world domination.

hegemony

/ hɪˈɡɛmənɪ; ˌhɛɡəˈmɒnɪk /

noun

1. ascendancy or domination of one power or state within a league, confederation, etc, or of one social class over others

Derived Forms

• hegemonic, adjective

Other Words From

• heg·e·mon·ic [hej-, uh, -, mon, -ik], hege·moni·cal adjective
• anti·he·gemo·ny noun plural antihegemonies adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hegemony¹

First recorded in 1560–70; from Greek hēgemonía “leadership, supremacy,” equivalent to hēgemon- (stem of hēgemṓn ) “leader” + -ia -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of hegemony¹

C16: from Greek hēgemonia authority, from hēgemōn leader, from hēgeisthai to lead

Example Sentences

Given the political hegemony enjoyed by vast corporate interests and institutional leviathans like the military, how is it that they can no longer fend off shakedowns by hack politicians?

From Salon

In other words, there had been a flowering of serious intellectual challenges to white racial hegemony.

From Salon

McDonald’s, specifically, became a symbol for the glossy hegemony of American capitalism both at home and abroad.

From New York Times

In 1985, she was the first woman to draw a Wonder Woman comic after four decades of male hegemony.

From New York Times

“There is no place for dictatorships, hegemony, neocolonial and colonial practices, which are now being widely used by the United States and the rest of the ‘collective West,’” Mr. Lavrov said.

From New York Times