Someone or something that is dominant is more powerful, successful, influential, or noticeable than other people or things.
...a change which would maintain his party's dominant position in Scotland.
She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.
Synonyms: main, chief, primary, outstanding More Synonyms of dominant
2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A dominant gene is one that produces a particular characteristic, whether a person has onlyone of these genes from one parent, or two genes, one from each parent. Compare recessive.
[technical]
Dimples are quite rare and caused by one dominant gene
More Synonyms of dominant
dominant in British English
(ˈdɒmɪnənt)
adjective
1.
having primary control, authority, or influence; governing; ruling
2.
predominant or primary
the dominant topic of the day
3.
occupying a commanding position
4. genetics
a.
(of an allele) producing the same phenotype in the organism irrespective of whether the allele of the same gene is identical or dissimilar
b.
(of a character) controlled by such a gene
Compare recessive (sense 2)
5. music
of or relating to the fifth degree of a scale
6. ecology
(of a plant or animal species within a community) more prevalent than any other species and determining the appearance and composition of the community
noun
7. genetics
a.
a dominant allele or character
b.
an organism having such an allele or character
8. music
a.
the fifth degree of a scale and the second in importance after the tonic
b.
a key or chord based on this
9. ecology
a dominant plant or animal in a community
Derived forms
dominantly (ˈdominantly)
adverb
dominant in American English
(ˈdɑmənənt)
adjective
1.
exercising authority or influence; dominating; ruling; prevailing
2. Genetics
designating or relating to that one of any pair of allelic hereditary factors which, when both are present in the germ plasm, dominates over the other and appears in the organism
see also recessive, see Mendel's laws
3. Music
of or based upon the fifth tone of a diatonic scale
noun
4. Ecology
that species of plant or animal most numerous in a community or exercising control over the other organisms by its influence uponthe environment
5. Genetics
a dominant character or factor
6. Music
the fifth note of a diatonic scale
SYNONYMY NOTE: dominant refers to that which dominates or controls, or has the greatest effect [dominant characteristics in genetics]; predominant refers to that which is at the moment uppermost in importance or influence [the predominant reason for his refusal]; paramount is applied to that which ranks first in importance, authority, etc. [of paramount interest to me]; preeminent implies prominence because of surpassing excellence [the preeminent writer of his time]; preponderant implies superiority in amount, weight, power, importance, etc. [the preponderant religion of a country]
Derived forms
dominantly (ˈdominantly)
adverb
Word origin
L dominans, prp. of dominari: see dominate
Examples of 'dominant' in a sentence
dominant
For the rest of the half, he was a dominant figure.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
When one partner is dominant, less is expected of the submissive partner.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They are counting on being the dominant force by the general election in 2018 and may well try to engineer a snap election before then.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This imperative of determination, of collective commitment, becomes the dominant theme in the conversation.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
December, the outlook is for the unusual weather to continue, and a weak and meandering jet stream with high pressure to remain the dominant force.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This other character is becoming a dominant force.
The Sun (2009)
What form of animal life would be dominant?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The green stalks of rice would be less dominant if the figure were centrally placed.
Freeman, Michael Collins Complete Guide to Photography (1993)
It meant he escaped the potentially dominant influence of a single teacher.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Let her feel the demands of being the dominant one.
The Sun (2006)
It does mean that we have experienced years and years of being a dominant culture.
Christianity Today (2000)
But it should not be allowed to become too dominant.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It was thought to be controlled by two dominant genes and you needed both.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The second change was that rock and pop music became the dominant form of popular music.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
His was the dominant personality and influence on affairs.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He was absolutely dominant in that one area.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Democracy is compatible with a dominant religious culture.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Britain is on course for stronger growth in the final quarter after a surge in activity in the dominant services sector.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Wage labor became the dominant form.
Shubert, Adrian A Social History of Modern Spain (1991)
They've got such a dominant position.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Humans have always been the dominant force in the relationship, but that could be changing.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
And yes, his mother was clearly a dominant figure in his life.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
But after a dominant first half, he faded after the interval.
The Sun (2006)
When price becomes so dominant in consumer thinking, the system gets distorted.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In a few cases, such diseases may be caused by a dominant gene.
Bee, Helen The Developing Child (7th edn.) (1995)
For long periods in recent years, he has been the dominant force in the game.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The public sector has been dominant in the implementation of the GEAR project.
Brindley,Tim & Rydin, Yvonne & Stoker, Gerry Remaking Planning: the politics of urban change in the Thatcher years (1989)
The company's dominant position has made it highly sought-after.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The dominant services sector, which accounts for twothirds of output, has also been unexpectedly weak.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
dominant
British English: dominant ADJECTIVE
Someone or something that is dominant is more powerful, successful, influential, or noticeable than other people or things.
...a change which would maintain the party's dominant position.
American English: dominant
Brazilian Portuguese: dominante
Chinese: 处于支配地位的
European Spanish: dominante
French: dominant
German: dominierend
Italian: dominante
Japanese: 優勢な
Korean: 우세한
European Portuguese: dominante
Latin American Spanish: dominante
All related terms of 'dominant'
dominant role
If you have a role in a situation or in society, you have a particular position and function in it.
dominant theme
A theme in a piece of writing, a talk , or a discussion is an important idea or subject that runs through it.
dominant culture
The culture of a particular organization or group consists of the habits of the people in it and the way they generally behave .
dominant emotion
An emotion is a feeling such as happiness, love, fear, anger , or hatred , which can be caused by the situation that you are in or the people you are with.
dominant ideology
An ideology is a set of beliefs, especially the political beliefs on which people, parties, or countries base their actions.
dominant tenement
the land or tenement with the benefit of an easement over land belonging to another
dominant hemisphere
the normal tendency for one half of the brain , usually the left cerebral hemisphere in right-handed people, to exercise more control over certain functions (e. g . handedness and language) than the other
dominant performance
Someone's or something's performance is how successful they are or how well they do something.
dominant wavelength
the wavelength of monochromatic light that would give the same visual sensation if combined in a suitable proportion with an achromatic light
dominant seventh chord
a chord consisting of the dominant and the major third, perfect fifth , and minor seventh above it. Its most natural resolution is to a chord on the tonic