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
  • The Yankees then went on to become baseball’s most dominant franchise - winning 27 World Series titles - while the Red Sox would not taste success for the rest of the 20th century.
    Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • There may even be scenario B, C or D which today appears negligible and which becomes dominant because something happens that our initial model could not anticipate.
    Hamilton Mann, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Netflix has worked assiduously to burnish its reputation as a home for advertisers seeking to align themselves with its popular programs and eager to avoid the traditional model of deploying typical 30-second commercials.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • However, this gets an all-new rear suspension with leaf springs; that setup allows for a greater payload than a typical torsion beam axle.
    Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • As long as the predominant globe-spanning Navy kept the seas free for everyone, there was no reason to be affiliated with any state.
    Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The Odyssey is a story set in the Bronze Age, written in the Iron Age, measured by which metal was the predominant metal that went into weapons of war and other kinds of tools.
    David Frum, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026
Adjective
  • Twenty-one representative motion clips were subsequently deployed on a physical humanoid robot, demonstrating reliable transfer from simulation to hardware.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
  • His election as chief executive in 2008 and 2012 greatly furthered rapprochement with Beijing, though negotiations on representative offices were unsuccessful.
    Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Preponderant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preponderant. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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