DOMINANCE Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

dominance

noun

ˈdä-mə-nən(t)s

Definition of dominance

as in domination

controlling power or influence over others although Napoléon had achieved dominance over the European continent, Great Britain still ruled the waves

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in superiority

the fact or state of being above others in rank or importance the university was recognized for its dominance in the field of ancient Greek history

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 dominance Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani, whose plans to launch satellite communications and dominance over the Indian telecom market have drawn the ire of Elon Musk last week, has a more pressing worry. — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 The move seemed to cement Netflix’s status as the ultimate Hollywood gate-crasher and its dominance as the leading new player in media. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Bajaria joined Netflix at a time when streaming was still a burgeoning industry and helped shepherd the company’s rise to dominance by overseeing its content offerings. — Jackson Murphy, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026 After the end of the Cold War, Washington began to take its dominance in space for granted. — Kathleen Curlee, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dominance

Recent Examples of Synonyms for 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

Meanwhile, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which sees space superiority as essential to winning future wars, is developing a range of space capabilities as well as a suite of weapons that can attack satellites.

— Kathleen Curlee, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2026
Credibility is affected deeply by strategic cultural assessments about superiority and inferiority, and notions about when, where, how and for whom the credibility matters.

— Christopher Nichols, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of superiority

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

Few marques understand this better than Porsche, whose reputation was built not merely on performance figures, but on the connection its cars forge between driver and machine.

— Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
Since its independence in 1947, India has maintained a reputation for conducting free and fair elections.

— Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of reputation

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

This distinction is especially important for companies whose supply chains involve multiple countries, with raw materials, components, and finished goods crossing borders at different stages.

— Shannon Hynds, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Advertisement Yet experts say the distinction between the two systems is not always clear, particularly given how closely their underlying technology and operations are connected.

— Tiago Ventura, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of distinction

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

Trump is accustomed to asserting the primacy of force over law and clearly anticipates no punishment for doing so in front of a body dedicated to saving humanity from the scourge of war.

— Anjali Dayal, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
Yet the diverging political and regulatory attention paid to the two industries makes increasingly little sense, given the bond market’s growing primacy in the financial system, and its ability to also cause mayhem.

— Robin Wigglesworth, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of primacy

Browse Nearby Words

domiciling

dominance

dominances

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dominance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dominance. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of dominance

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on dominance

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

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

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

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

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes