supremacy

noun

su·​prem·​a·​cy sə-ˈpre-mə-sē 

sü-

also -ˈprē-

plural supremacies

1

: the quality or state of being supreme

especially : a position of unquestioned authority, dominance, or influence

military/naval supremacy

In the 20th century, two completely different models of how to run an economy battled for supremacy.

—Bill McKibben

Natal's well-watered valleys … became by the end of the 18th century the site of a contest for supremacy …

—Noel Mostert

Every high school boasts its elite squad of lookers: sparkling teeth, merciless anatomy, sunny filaments of hair … . Between classes, they parade down the halls, trooping their supremacies like Clydesdales.

—Richard Lacayo

2

: ultimate authority or power

belief in the supremacy of God

Synonyms of supremacy

• dominance
• domination
• dominion
• sovereignty

Examples of supremacy in a Sentence

the Roman empire had supremacy over the entire Mediterranean world

the supremacy of cashmere among wools accounts for its high price

Recent Examples on the Web

But for at least this coming season, home will be in Philadelphia, alongside a talented cast that should be able to contend for an NBA title and certainly challenge the defending champion New York Knicks for Eastern Conference supremacy. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 July 2026

From impoverishment to global superpower, China’s supremacy happened at a breakneck speed thanks to the visionary strategy of the man who took power in 1978. — Rund Abdelfatah, NPR, 23 July 2026

White supremacy is an important aspect of the Trumpian right; so is male supremacy. — Literary Hub, 23 July 2026

At the height of Marvel’s box-office supremacy, in the late twenty-tens, audiences turned out en masse to see their favorite comic-book characters on the big screen, but not for much else. — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 22 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

supreme + -acy (as in primacy)

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing supremacy

• white supremacy

Kids Definition

supremacy

noun

su·​prem·​a·​cy sə-ˈprem-ə-sē 

plural supremacies

1

: the quality or state of being supreme

2

: supreme authority or power