dominate

verb dom·i·nate \ ˈdä-mə-ˌnāt \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Examples: dominate in a Sentence

Definition of dominate

dominated; dominating

transitive verb

1 : rule, control

an empire that dominated the world

2 : to exert the supreme determining or guiding influence on

the ambition that has dominated his life

3 : to overlook from a superior elevation or command because of superior height or position

a hill that dominates the town

4 a : to be predominant in

sugar maples dominate the forest

b : to have a commanding or preeminent place or position in

name brands dominate the market

intransitive verb

1 : to have or exert mastery, control, or preeminence

his desire to dominate

a dominating factor in industrial growth

2 : to occupy a more elevated or superior position

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dominative

play \-ˌnā-tiv\ adjective

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dominator

play \-ˌnā-tər\ noun

See dominate defined for English-language learners

See dominate defined for kids

Examples of dominate in a Sentence

One company has dominated the market for years.
He dominated her life for many years.
His work dominated the art scene last year.
Our team dominated throughout the game.
Our team dominated play throughout the game.

Recent Examples of dominate from the Web

The field is dominated by big companies such as Kelly Services, Manpower and Adecco, but experts say that smaller, nimbler firms can carve their own niches.

— carolyn said, San Francisco Chronicle, "Finding blue-collar gig jobs at the tap of an app with Wonolo," 8 June 2018
The front yard of the 8,712-square-foot lot is no longer dominated by a lawn, but water-wise, low-maintenance landscaping.

— janet eastman, OregonLive.com, "Home-selling etiquette: Lake Oswego homeowner's letter to neighbors (photos)," 8 June 2018
Our wildly inefficient system is currently dominated by private insurance companies, a health care model spearheaded by the AMA.

— jonathan michels, STAT, "Is this the year the AMA finally joins the single-payer movement?," 8 June 2018
At the opening of the third act, the stage was dominated by a two-story house that very nearly filled the proscenium.

— david lyman, Cincinnati.com, "Behind the curtain: Cincinnati Opera's back at Music Hall with a more functional backstage," 7 June 2018
Many parts of the aviation industry are still dominated by men.

— mike cherney, WSJ, "Just Joking? Qatar Airways Boss Sorry for Saying a Woman Couldn’t Do His Job," 6 June 2018
Both sports are dominated by black athletes, but the cultural significance of the NFL for white Americans is just different.

— sean illing, Vox, "Race and football: why NFL owners are so scared of Colin Kaepernick," 5 June 2018
For years, track and field in the state was dominated by Gary high schools.

— david woods, Indianapolis Star, "IHSAA track: Hoosier Crossroads emerges as top league," 4 June 2018
In the early 1990s, the video game industry was still dominated by that Italian-American plumber named Mario.

— the strong museum of play, Ars Technica, "The original Doom, one of 64 Objects that shaped video game history," 2 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dominate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of dominate

Latin dominatus, past participle of dominari, from dominus master; akin to Latin domus house — more at dome

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1611

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

dominate Synonyms

Synonyms

conquer, overpower, pacify, subdue, subject, subjugate, subordinate, vanquish;

Near Antonyms

discharge, emancipate, enfranchise, free, liberate, manumit, release, spring, unbind, uncage, unchain, unfetter;

enslave;

break, clamp down (on), crack down (on), put down, quash, quell, repress, silence, smother, snuff (out), squash, squelch, suppress;

DOMINATE Defined for English Language Learners

dominate

verb

Definition of dominate for English Language Learners

: to have control of or power over (someone or something)
: to be the most important part of (something)
: to be much more powerful or successful than others in a game, competition, etc.

DOMINATE Defined for Kids

dominate

verb dom·i·nate \ ˈdä-mə-ˌnāt \

Definition of dominate for Students

dominated; dominating

: to have a commanding position or controlling power over

The mountain dominates the landscape.

Word Root of dominate

The Latin word dominus, meaning “master,” gives us the root domin. Words from the Latin dominus have something to do with being another's master. To dominate is to have power and control over as if being someone's master. A domain, or land under the control of a government, is a land with a particular master or ruler. Dominion is controlling power, similar to the power of a master over others.