predominate

adjective

pre·dom·i·nate | \pri-ˈdä-mə-nət

Definition of predominate

(Entry 1 of 2)

: predominant

predominate

verb

pre·dom·i·nate | \pri-ˈdä-mə-ˌnāt

predominated; predominating; predominates

Definition of predominate (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to hold advantage in numbers or quantity

2 : to exert controlling power or influence : prevail

transitive verb

: to exert control over : dominate

Other Words from predominate Predominant vs. Predominate Example Sentences Learn More about predominate

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Predominant vs. Predominate

Adjective

Predominant and predominate are synonymous adjectives. Predominant is the older and much more common form. A number of handbooks and commentators hold predominate to be a mistake—a few insisting that the word is only a verb. But they are wrong. As an adjective predominate is somewhat more likely to turn up in technical writing than in general writing. The adverbs predominantly and predominately are a more even match in frequency than their base adjectives are, although predominantly is still significantly more common than predominately.

Examples of predominate in a Sentence

Adjective

the predominate color in the painting the predominate reason for the change

Verb

Older people predominate in that neighborhood.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The predominate amount of attention this spring has been placed on the offense, perhaps for good reason: Frost’s résumé was built on this side of the ball, so expectations are high. — Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, "Five takeaways from Scott Frost's first spring game with Nebraska," 21 Apr. 2018 Housing costs played a predominate role in the number of years $1 million can last. — Ron Hurtibise, Sun-Sentinel.com, "How long would $1 million in retirement savings last in Fort Lauderdale?," 5 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

California ZIP codes predominated, filling six of the top spots. — Michael Kolomatsky, New York Times, "ZIP Codes With the Priciest Homes," 28 June 2018 Tile work took a turn in the 17th century, when the blue-and-white ceramics coming out of Holland, then a superpower in matters of taste, left its mark on Portugal, where blue and white can still predominate. — J.s. Marcus, WSJ, "A Portuguese Palace That’s a Tile Lover’s Dream Destination," 5 July 2018 Metal images tend to predominate in studies of early photography, thanks to their relative ubiquity, physical durability, and the literal brilliance of the daguerreotype and its homelier cousin the tintype. — Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, "At Yale: on the threshold and under the volcano," 6 July 2018 Public-sector jobs in the GCC pay about three times more than private-sector ones, where foreigners predominate (see chart). — The Economist, "Breaking the curseWhy Gulf economies struggle to wean themselves off oil," 21 June 2018 Cooperative behaviors predominated—making up more than 60% of interactions—when more than two-thirds of the surgical team were women. — Katie Langin, Science | AAAS, "Yelling, cursing less likely to break out in operating rooms when female surgeons are present," 2 July 2018 This and other similar conditions predominate among male children of Irish and English descent. — Longreads, "Fairy Scapegoats: A History of the Persecution of Changeling Children," 9 June 2018 Here, too, vivid color predominates: A glow emanates from the pages as a little boy gets dropped off at his grandfather’s house. — Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, "The Wonderful World of Color," 1 June 2018 The menu includes hot and cold mezza; kebabs and seafood predominate the mains. — Michael Klein, Philly.com, "Let's Eat: Two newcomers to the 'burbs," 16 May 2018

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