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 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 Under federal law, race cannot be a preponderant motive in drawing a district, wrote Dr. Cervas, a fellow at Carnegie Mellon University. Jimmy Vielkind and Eliza Collins, WSJ, 21 May 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preponderant
Adjective
  • The Congress Centre was buzzing with both dominating and dominant leaders from across the world.
    Vaishali Nigam Sinha, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Scientists working at microscopic scales have relied on a single dominant fabrication technique to build complex 3D structures.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • In other words, the typical beneficiary of tighter air quality standards is an elderly retiree, not a child or a working-age adult.
    James Broughel, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Zillow calculates the value of a typical home using the average middle third of home values (eliminating statistical anomalies at the high and low end).
    Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • By the next day, anger and fear felt like the predominant emotional states.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Centuries ago, exhalations of humans and animals, in addition to that derived from natural processes such as decay and forest fires, may have been predominant.
    Beronda L. Montgomery, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Elsewhere, the performance has been two-pronged, with Asia and the Middle East proving a boon for bigger players but less representative and underexplored for SMEs.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 26 Jan. 2026
  • While al-Sharaa has vowed to build a more unified and representative Syria, his rule has struggled with deep divisions and deadly sectarian clashes across the country.
    Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 23 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Preponderant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preponderant. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

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