Definition of dominate
dominated
;dominating
transitive verb
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
4a : to be predominant in sugar maples dominate the forestb : 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
From the M-W Editors
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
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Since then, tens of thousands of residents have moved in and new towers and construction cranes dominate the skyline.
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Theoretically, such self-propagating genes could rapidly come to dominate a population.
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While more than 5,000 Chinese companies do business with North Korea each year, trade between the two countries is dominated by just a handful of large companies, several of which are based in Dandong.
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Soliciting the views of Mr. Prince and Mr. Feinberg certainly qualifies as out-of-the-box thinking in a process dominated by military leaders in the Pentagon and the National Security Council.
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My arms were long and helped me dominate on defense.
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USA (2-0) dominated Iran 108-48 Saturday and Angola 109-68 Sunday.
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Today, shooters, shooters and more shooters dominate as defensive rules allow them to roam without fear of any Bill Laimbeer-esque front-court justice.
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In her dominating 20-plus-year career, Williams has won a whopping 23 Grand Slam single titles, more than any other female player in an Open era, including the great Stefi Graff.
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
DOMINATE Defined for English Language Learners
dominate
playDefinition of dominate for English Language Learners
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: to have control of or power over (someone or something)
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: to be the most important part of (something)
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: to be much more powerful or successful than others in a game, competition, etc.
DOMINATE Defined for Kids
dominate
playDefinition 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.
Learn More about dominate
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See words that rhyme with dominate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dominate Spanish Central: Translation of dominate Nglish: Translation of dominate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of dominate for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dominate
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