hegemon

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noun heg·e·mon \ ˈhe-jə-ˌmän , ˈhē- \

Definition of hegemon

:something (such as a political state) having dominant influence or authority over others :one possessing hegemony

These were the periods in which England and then America filled the role of hegemon …
—Robert Heilbroner

The American self-image of a mighty power that is also a benign hegemon, the global custodian of democratic values and human rights, is deeply rooted.
—Allister Sparks

Recent Examples of hegemon from the Web

What if, more than anything else including territory, the group just wants permanence, to be the ideological hegemon of global jihadism?

— charlie winter, The Atlantic, "How ISIS Survives the Fall of Mosul," 3 July 2017
States whose interests clash with the United States may now have opportunities to win gains while the United States, the global hegemon, is distracted with its internal crises.

— henry farrell, The Denver Post, "What it means that Germany says it can’t rely on the United States," 2 June 2017
And if Ajit Pai, the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, gets his way, the hegemons are likely to grow only larger and more powerful.

— farhad manjoo, New York Times, "Giving the Behemoths a Leg Up on the Little Guy," 3 May 2017

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