preponderant

Definition of preponderantnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word preponderant different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of preponderant are dominant, paramount, and predominant. While all these words mean "superior to all others in influence or importance," preponderant applies to an element or factor that outweighs all others in influence or effect.

preponderant evidence in her favor

In what contexts can dominant take the place of preponderant?

In some situations, the words dominant and preponderant are roughly equivalent. However, dominant applies to something that is uppermost because ruling or controlling.

a dominant social class

When is it sensible to use paramount instead of preponderant?

The meanings of paramount and preponderant largely overlap; however, paramount implies supremacy in importance, rank, or jurisdiction.

unemployment was the paramount issue in the campaign

When would predominant be a good substitute for preponderant?

Although the words predominant and preponderant have much in common, predominant applies to something that exerts, often temporarily, the most marked influence.

a predominant emotion

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of preponderant Because sugar plantations were so large and enslaved populations were so preponderant, whites feared that any tumult would end with their heads on pikes. Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026 American grand strategists also need to ask whether the country still benefits from being the preponderant provider of global public goods, such as freedom of navigation. Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025 Market value was preponderant in determining the value of the piece of land that the state deemed worthy of expropriating. Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025 But the preponderant migrants’ motivation has been, and continues to be, to provide a better life for their families. Bill Gray, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2025 The relevance and recent growth of regional Mexican music has become undeniable, and today, the genre holds a preponderant place within the industry. Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 16 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preponderant
Adjective
  • Here was a team that played a beautiful, dominant style of soccer that enthralled the world and stymied opponents on its way to the World Cup final.
    Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Tarik Skubal pitched seven dominant innings, Spencer Torkelson homered twice and drove in four runs, and the Detroit Tigers cruised to a 7-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
Adjective
  • That 1982 campaign was typical of the misfortune that plagued Keegan’s international career.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Cases of cyclosporiasis are known to rise during spring and summer months in the US, with a typical season running from the start of May through the end of August, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Adjective
  • While summer is still the predominant season, the average acreage burned in winter, spring and fall have all increased too, according to the analysis.
    Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 16 July 2026
  • Repeated, large fires have caused a decline in the predominant species of conifers, the black spruce, shifting what vegetation regrows.
    Joshua Partlow, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
Adjective
  • The company completed development of the system after a series of live-fire evaluations in operationally representative conditions.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026
  • Leveraging a representative hero of the Revolution to lay claim to an equal share in America is itself something of an American tradition, encompassing such figures as Tadeusz Kościuszko, Crispus Attucks, Deborah Sampson, and Haym Salomon.
    Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Preponderant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preponderant. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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