dominant

[ dom-uh-nuhnt ]

adjective

1. ruling, governing, or controlling; having or exerting authority or influence:

   dominant in the chain of command.

   Synonyms: principal, prevailing

2. occupying or being in a commanding or elevated position.
3. predominant; main; major; chief:

   Corn is the dominant crop of Iowa.

4. Genetics. of or relating to a dominant.
5. Music. pertaining to or based on the dominant:

   the dominant chord.

noun

1. Genetics.
   1. the one of a pair of alternative alleles that masks the effect of the other when both are present in the same cell or organism.
   2. the trait or character determined by such an allele. Compare recessive ( defs 4, 5 ).
2. alsocalledcomma Informal, dom. the participant in a BDSM sexual encounter or relationship to whom power and control are transferred. dominatrix ( def 1 ), domme.
3. Music. the fifth tone of a diatonic scale.
4. Ecology. any of one or more types of plants, or sometimes animals, that by virtue of abundance, size, or habits exert so important an influence on the conditions of an area as to determine, to a great extent, what other organisms can live there.

dominant

/ ˈdɒmɪnənt /

adjective

1. having primary control, authority, or influence; governing; ruling
2. predominant or primary

   the dominant topic of the day

3. occupying a commanding position
4. genetics Compare recessive
   1. (of an allele) producing the same phenotype in the organism irrespective of whether the allele of the same gene is identical or dissimilar
   2. (of a character) controlled by such a gene
5. music of or relating to the fifth degree of a scale
6. ecology (of a plant or animal species within a community) more prevalent than any other species and determining the appearance and composition of the community

noun

1. genetics
   1. a dominant allele or character
   2. an organism having such an allele or character
2. music
   1. the fifth degree of a scale and the second in importance after the tonic
   2. a key or chord based on this
3. ecology a dominant plant or animal in a community

dominant

/ dŏm′ə-nənt /

1. Relating to the form of a gene that expresses a trait, such as hair color, in an individual organism. The dominant form of a gene overpowers the counterpart, or recessive, form located on the other of a pair of chromosomes.
2. Relating to the trait expressed by such a gene.
3. See more at inheritanceCompare recessive
4. Being a species that has the greatest effect within its ecological community, especially by determining the presence, abundance, or type of other species. As a plant community progresses through stages of succession, different species may become dominant for a period until the climax community is reached, at which point the dominant species remains stable until a major disruption occurs. Among animals, the dominant species in a community is generally the top predator or the most abundant or widespread species.
5. Being an animal that occupies the highest position in a social hierarchy and has the greatest access to resources such as food and a mate or mates. Social dominance is gained and maintained through factors such as size and aggressiveness.

Derived Forms

• ˈdominantly, adverb

Other Words From

• dom·i·nant·ly adverb
• non·dom·i·nant adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dominant¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin dominant- (stem of domināns, present participle of dominārī “to be lord and master, domineer”; dominate ), equivalent to domin(us) “master, possessor, ruler” + -ant- -ant

Synonym Study

Dominant, predominant, paramount, preeminent describe something outstanding. Dominant describes something that is most influential or important: the dominant characteristics of monkeys. Predominant describes something that is dominant over all others, or is more widely prevalent: Curiosity is the predominant characteristic of monkeys. Paramount applies to something that is first in rank or order: Safety is of paramount importance. Preeminent applies to a prominence based on recognition of excellence: His work was of preeminent quality.

Example Sentences

The industry’s dominant web browser — it controls about 61 percent of the U.S. market, according to Bloomberg — is a potent data-collection portal, steering people to the company’s search engine.

From New York Times

Xi’s dream also involves making China the world’s dominant power.

From BBC

One-party rule is fine so long as the dominant party does what Madison expected.

From Salon

With an upper hand over other bacteria lacking similar antibiotic resistance, such bacteria should become dominant.

From Science Daily

UCLA’s defense was dominant against a winless opponent Friday night, with the Bruins controlling a game that quickly got out of hand.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• assertive
• commanding
• effective
• leading
• main
• powerful
• predominant
• preeminent
• prevailing
• prevalent
• principal