dominate

verb

dom·​i·​nate ˈdä-mə-ˌnāt How to pronounce dominate (audio)
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
dominative adjective
dominator noun

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 on the Web
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.
China is currently dominating the open-source AI space, according to Andreessen Horowitz’s Anjney Midha. Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025 What Happens Next Trump is expected to meet Xi on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, where trade is expected to dominate their agenda but security issues including the South China Sea and the de facto independent island of Taiwan are also likely to be raised. Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025 The Five Families — who have historically dominated organized crime — backed Stanfa, an old-school mob figure, while a younger faction rallied behind Merlino, who was known for his flashier, more modern approach to mob life. Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025 Florida dominated Vegas in shot attempts (70-49), scoring chances (45-18) and high-danger chances (19-7) on their way to their first shutout victory of the season. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dominate

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dominate was in 1611

Cite this Entry

“Dominate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dominate. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

dominate

verb
dom·​i·​nate ˈdäm-ə-ˌnāt How to pronounce dominate (audio)
dominated; dominating
1
: to have a commanding position or controlling power over
2
: to seem to command by rising high above
a volcano dominates the island
domination
ˌdäm-ə-ˈnā-shən
noun
dominative adjective
dominator noun
Etymology

derived from Latin dominari "to rule, govern, control," from dominus "master, owner" — related to condominium, dame, domain, dominion, don entry 2

More from Merriam-Webster on dominate

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