supremacy

noun

su·​prem·​a·​cy sə-ˈpre-mə-sē How to pronounce supremacy (audio)
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 supremacyNoel 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

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 In their rivalry for global supremacy, the U.S. and China both flex their hard power, in the form of military might. Courtney Fingar, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Boys volleyball First contest: Saturday Section finals: May 10, 11 Overview: The usual suspects should battle it out for Open Division supremacy. San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2024 The reliance on the U.S. dollar as the primary currency in global trade has been eroded by alternative systems such as BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), which challenge the dollar’s supremacy. Armstrong Williams, Orange County Register, 3 Feb. 2024 Online sales continued their relentless march toward retail supremacy in 2023, growing by nearly 5%, another new e-commerce record and an almost $100 billion increase since before the pandemic. Mario Peshev, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 The immunity motion also seeks to dismiss the indictment based on the supremacy clause, arguing that the state is barred from interfering with the functioning of the federal government. Olivia Rubin, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2024 As a result of the surprising Suits supremacy, EW confirmed in October that original series creator Aaron Korsh began developing another series set in the Suits universe with NBCUniversal. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 7 Jan. 2024 Justices upheld the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, which delegates the authority to enforce immigration laws solely to the federal government. Rafael Carranza, The Arizona Republic, 2 Jan. 2024 While the Chinese, the Nigerians, and even some of the Americans jockey for scientific supremacy, our nation has adopted an entirely different strategy. Elliot Ackerman, WIRED, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'supremacy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

supreme + -acy (as in primacy)

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of supremacy was in 1540

Dictionary Entries Near supremacy

Cite this Entry

“Supremacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supremacy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

supremacy

noun
su·​prem·​a·​cy sə-ˈprem-ə-sē How to pronounce supremacy (audio)
plural supremacies
1
: the quality or state of being supreme
2
: supreme authority or power

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