hegemon

noun heg·e·mon \ ˈhe-jə-ˌmän , ˈhē- \

|Updated on: 24 Jul 2018

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

Perhaps in a decade or two historians will look back and point to this policy or that event as the turning-point in China’s emergence as a financial hegemon.

— The Economist, "Why foreigners are keen buyers of Chinese government bonds," 28 June 2018
And so this undercuts the narrative of China being the global hegemon, the U.S. in terminal decline, that the Chinese will rule east Asia, all of that goes out the window in one summit.

— Fox News, "How Trump differs from past presidents on North Korea," 12 June 2018
But he is singularly disinterested in shouldering the burdens that come with being a global hegemon.

— ishaan tharoor, Washington Post, "Trump and the rest of the world offer little hope for Syrian refugees," 18 Apr. 2018
But in 2005 this backwater bank incurred the wrath and might of the world’s financial hegemon.

— The Economist, "The long arm of the dollar," 19 May 2018
For example, a political transformation of even a subtle kind inside Iran, the regional hegemon, will have a greater impact on the region than anything America has done or will do.

— chicagotribune.com, "Baathism caused the chaos in Iraq and Syria," 7 Mar. 2018
Being a global tech hegemon has been lucrative for America.

— The Economist, "SchumpeterHow does Chinese tech stack up against American tech?," 15 Feb. 2018
The sheer strength of America, which has been the world’s hegemon since 1945, has led allies to reflexively rely on the United States, creating a status quo bias where relations between nations remain frozen.

— jeet heer, New Republic, "Could This Madman Accidentally Bring Peace to the Korean Peninsula?," 9 Feb. 2018
Not only does the winner automatically become the official hegemon of the Middle East, but the loser has to throw a wicked dope party for the winner.

— alex siquig, GQ, "A Couple More of Jared Kushner’s Ideas for Fixing the Middle East," 12 Dec. 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.