dom·i·nant
ˈdä-mə-nənt 
ˈdäm-nənt
1
a
: commanding, controlling, or prevailing over all others
the dominant culture
b
: very important, powerful, or successful
a dominant theme
a dominant industry
the team's dominant performance
2
: overlooking and commanding from a superior position
a dominant hill
3
: of, relating to, or exerting ecological or genetic dominance
dominant genes
dominant and recessive traits
4
biology
: being the one of a pair of bodily structures that is the more effective or predominant in action
dominant eye
used her dominant hand
dominantly
adverb
1
music
: the fifth tone of a major or minor scale (see scale entry 5 sense 1)
2
a
genetics
: a character or factor that exerts genetic dominance (see dominance sense 1b)
b
ecology
: any of one or more kinds of organism (such as a species) in an ecological community that exerts a controlling influence on the environment and thereby largely determines what other kinds of organisms are present
dominant conifers
c
sociology
: an individual having a controlling, prevailing, or powerful position in a social hierarchy : a dominant (see dominant entry 1 sense 1) individual in a social hierarchy
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Examples of dominant in a Sentence
Adjective
The company is now dominant in its market.
It is the dominant culture in the region.
the dominant female of the pack
Recent Examples on the Web
Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Both Piastri and Lando Norris looked the favorites for pole position after a dominant weekend, but the Ferrari came out on top.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 8 July 2025
As for Trump’s goal of making America globally energy dominant during his term of office, his bill just made that impossible.
—Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 9 July 2025
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Adjective
Other young pitchers stepping up in bullpen Nunez was dominant in 11 outings for the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate this season, surrendering no runs in 12 1/3 innings of work, and held a 3.86 ERA in four MLB appearances for San Diego.
—Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Both Piastri and Lando Norris looked the favorites for pole position after a dominant weekend, but the Ferrari came out on top.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
Noun
As automatic as those final three outs appear to be right now, his rise to becoming a dominant closer for a first-place team was not entirely smooth.
Go back to that 2021 trade deadline when Anthony Rizzo, Javier Báez and Kris Bryant would all scatter.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 8 July 2025
As for Trump’s goal of making America globally energy dominant during his term of office, his bill just made that impossible.
—Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dominant
Cite this Entry
“Dominant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dominant. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dominant
1 of 2 adjective
dom·i·nant
ˈdäm-(ə-)nənt
1
a
: commanding, controlling, or having great influence over all others
a dominant political figure
b
: very important, powerful, or successful
a dominant industry
2
: rising high above the surroundings
3
4
: exhibiting genetic dominance
a dominant gene
dominant traits in peas
compare recessive entry 1 sense 2
5
: of, relating to, or being an ecological dominant
dominantly
adverb
dominant
2 of 2 noun1
a
: a dominant gene or a character which it controls
b
: a kind of living thing (as a species) that has a major influence on the environment of an ecological community
2
: the fifth note of the musical scale
Medical Definition
dominant
2 of 2 noun1
: a dominant genetic character or factor
2
: a dominant individual in a social hierarchy
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