ascendancy

noun

ə-ˈsen-dən(t)-sē How to pronounce ascendancy (audio)
variants also ascendency
Definition of ascendancynext
as in dominance
controlling power or influence over others a book chronicling the ascendancy of fascism in Europe after World War I

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ascendancy Amid their cultural ascendancy, many WAGs are looking at ways to expand their footprint beyond the sports or social media worlds. — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026 Their joint ascendancy in this decade has coincided with a change introduced for this tournament that increased their chances of meeting. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 14 July 2026 Though Rutinel does not identify as a socialist, Kiros’s ascendancy — the first major socialist victory outside of New York this cycle — is likely to provide ample fodder for Evans and his allies in the heavily Latino district. — James A. Downs, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2026 Sip & Guzzle’s ascendancy in the bar world has been swift and absolute. — Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for ascendancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ascendancy
  1. dominance
  2. domination
  3. dominion
  4. supremacy
  5. sovereignty
  6. reign
Noun
  • Von Dohlen, for his part, criticized 28 years of Democratic dominance on the five-member Commissioners Court, blaming county leadership for billions of dollars in debt.
    — Katie Bartlett, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Dior‘s dominance in the brand ranking was largely thanks to its creative director Jonathan Anderson, whose name appeared in 65 percent of Dior’s AI mentions, with 37 percent of those mentions pointed to a distinct identity for the house.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of dominance
Noun
  • Milwaukee pulled off a four-game sweep of the Dodgers, capping their domination with a 6-4 victory at Dodger Stadium on Thursday.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But this assessment mistakes the consequences of domination for its causes.
    — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of domination
Noun
  • The twentieth century also saw Canada transition from British dominion to sovereign North American partner and ally.
    — Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Faced with the dominion of the identical copy, some modern artists chose to celebrate it; others took a more critical, even antagonistic stance.
    — Mario Carpo, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of dominion
Noun
  • China and the United States are engaged in a high-stakes battle for AI supremacy.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Ternus, a product engineering savant, has been establishing himself by rolling out new devices meant to cement Apple’s hardware supremacy, most notably the company’s first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, which Ternus unveiled in September.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of supremacy
Noun
  • Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a final appeal to voters considering a path toward independence in his home province of Alberta on Friday, warning that a referendum is a dangerous gamble at a time of growing threats to Canada’s sovereignty.
    — Rob Gillies, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The practical reason for this is to ensure that European customers have full sovereignty over software, algorithms, data, and hardware.
    — David Szondy October 15, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of sovereignty
Noun
  • Bajaria’s foresight was sharper, investing in local language productions and building up Netflix’s global presence (almost two dozen international offices were opened during Bajaria’s reign).
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Located in the Marais district of Paris in the city's 3rd arrondissement, the market was founded in 1615 during the reign of King Louis XIII.
    — Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of reign

Browse Nearby Words

ascendancies
ascendancy
ascendant
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ascendancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ascendancy. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All