domination
noun
dom·i·na·tion
ˌdä-mə-ˈnā-shən 
1
: supremacy or preeminence over another
2
: exercise of mastery or ruling power
3
: exercise of preponderant, governing, or controlling influence
4
Synonyms
Examples of domination in a Sentence
auction houses battling for domination in the high-end art market
the Spanish domination of the Americas in the 16th century
Recent Examples on the Web
The best matches, where the couple parries the joys of domestic life with the task of world domination, are ones in which even the children are drafted into the entourage.
—
Andrew O’Hagan, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023
Skims: Kim Kardashian taking yet another step on the march to world domination via a partnership between her brand and Swarovski.
—Linda Marx, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
The trailer navigates the album’s production process, the music videos, the Moonwalk (which Jackson debuted at 1983’s Motown 25 special) and the eventual world domination of the project and its musical mastermind.
—Katie Atkinson, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2023
Yuri Gavrilov coined it when writing in the Soviet military’s Red Star newspaper in 1976 in response to a foreign-policy speech in which Mrs. Thatcher denounced the Soviet Union as bent on world domination.
—WSJ, 18 Oct. 2023
Losing that first casual crowd is the difference between an apparent flop and box office domination.
—David Betancourt, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023
Yet in some ways, the measure has achieved the government’s goals of sharply decreasing homicide rates and loosening gangs’ near-total domination over towns and hamlets.
—Nelson Rauda Zablah, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Oct. 2023
Then there was this week’s ugliest of encores, a three-game Diamondbacks domination in which the Dodgers never led.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2023
For the video, Lipa burns up the dance floor in a rehearsal room, lending to the song’s future dance-floor domination.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2023
See More
Andrew O’Hagan, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023
Skims: Kim Kardashian taking yet another step on the march to world domination via a partnership between her brand and Swarovski.
—Linda Marx, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
The trailer navigates the album’s production process, the music videos, the Moonwalk (which Jackson debuted at 1983’s Motown 25 special) and the eventual world domination of the project and its musical mastermind.
—Katie Atkinson, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2023
Yuri Gavrilov coined it when writing in the Soviet military’s Red Star newspaper in 1976 in response to a foreign-policy speech in which Mrs. Thatcher denounced the Soviet Union as bent on world domination.
—WSJ, 18 Oct. 2023
Losing that first casual crowd is the difference between an apparent flop and box office domination.
—David Betancourt, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023
Yet in some ways, the measure has achieved the government’s goals of sharply decreasing homicide rates and loosening gangs’ near-total domination over towns and hamlets.
—Nelson Rauda Zablah, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Oct. 2023
Then there was this week’s ugliest of encores, a three-game Diamondbacks domination in which the Dodgers never led.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2023
For the video, Lipa burns up the dance floor in a rehearsal room, lending to the song’s future dance-floor domination.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'domination.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of domination was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near domination
Cite this Entry
“Domination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domination. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
More from Merriam-Webster on domination
Nglish: Translation of domination for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of domination for Arabic Speakers
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