supremacy

noun

su·​prem·​a·​cy sə-ˈpre-mə-sē 

sü-

also -ˈprē-

plural supremacies

1

: the quality or state of being supreme

especially : a position of unquestioned authority, dominance, or influence

military/naval supremacy

In the 20th century, two completely different models of how to run an economy battled for supremacy.

—Bill McKibben

Natal's well-watered valleys … became by the end of the 18th century the site of a contest for supremacy …

—Noel Mostert

Every high school boasts its elite squad of lookers: sparkling teeth, merciless anatomy, sunny filaments of hair … . Between classes, they parade down the halls, trooping their supremacies like Clydesdales.

—Richard Lacayo

2

: ultimate authority or power

belief in the supremacy of God

Synonyms of supremacy

• dominance
• domination
• dominion
• sovereignty

Examples of supremacy in a Sentence

the Roman empire had supremacy over the entire Mediterranean world

the supremacy of cashmere among wools accounts for its high price

Recent Examples on the Web

Within the music industry, Knight's Death Row Records and Sean Combs' Bad Boy Records vied for market share, publicity, and supremacy in the hip-hop world. — Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026

While the reform and opening-up era brought some efforts to distinguish the roles of the party and the state, Xi has extended the party’s supremacy across all areas of society. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026

Deutsche Bank has become the first non-Chinese bank allowed to settle yuan transactions in Europe, a major step in Beijing’s ambitions to dislodge the supremacy of the US dollar. — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2026

The Atlanta Braves are surging in the NL East, emerging as a formidable challenger to the Dodgers for National League supremacy. — Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

supreme + -acy (as in primacy)

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing supremacy

• white supremacy

Kids Definition

supremacy

noun

su·​prem·​a·​cy sə-ˈprem-ə-sē 

plural supremacies

1

: the quality or state of being supreme

2

: supreme authority or power