DOMINION Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'dominion' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dominion are authority , command , control , jurisdiction , power , and sway . While all these words mean "the right to govern or rule or determine," dominion stresses sovereign power or supreme authority. // given dominion over all the animals

Q: When might 'authority' be a better fit than 'dominion'?

While the synonyms authority and dominion are close in meaning, authority implies power for a specific purpose within specified limits. // granted the authority to manage her estate

Q: When could 'command' be used to replace 'dominion'?

The words command and dominion are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, command implies the power to make arbitrary decisions and compel obedience. // the army officer in command

Q: When can 'control' be used instead of 'dominion'?

Although the words control and dominion have much in common, control stresses the power to direct and restrain. // you are responsible for the students under your control

Q: Where would 'jurisdiction' be a reasonable alternative to 'dominion'?

In some situations, the words jurisdiction and dominion are roughly equivalent. However, jurisdiction applies to official power exercised within prescribed limits. // the bureau having jurisdiction over parks

Q: When is 'power' a more appropriate choice than 'dominion'?

The words power and dominion can be used in similar contexts, but power implies possession of ability to wield force, authority, or influence. // the power to mold public opinion

Q: When would 'sway' be a good substitute for 'dominion'?

The synonyms sway and dominion are sometimes interchangeable, but sway suggests the extent of exercised power or influence. // the empire extended its sway over the region

dominion

noun

də-ˈmi-nyən

Definition of dominion next

as in domination

controlling power or influence over others in the Bible, man is given dominion over all the animals

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in power

the right or means to command or control others was granted dominion over the household servants

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun dominion contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dominion are authority, command, control, jurisdiction, power, and sway. While all these words mean "the right to govern or rule or determine," dominion stresses sovereign power or supreme authority.

given dominion over all the animals

When might authority be a better fit than dominion?

While the synonyms authority and dominion are close in meaning, authority implies power for a specific purpose within specified limits.

granted the authority to manage her estate

When could command be used to replace dominion?

The words command and dominion are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, command implies the power to make arbitrary decisions and compel obedience.

the army officer in command

When can control be used instead of dominion?

Although the words control and dominion have much in common, control stresses the power to direct and restrain.

you are responsible for the students under your control

Where would jurisdiction be a reasonable alternative to dominion?

In some situations, the words jurisdiction and dominion are roughly equivalent. However, jurisdiction applies to official power exercised within prescribed limits.

the bureau having jurisdiction over parks

When is power a more appropriate choice than dominion?

The words power and dominion can be used in similar contexts, but power implies possession of ability to wield force, authority, or influence.

the power to mold public opinion

When would sway be a good substitute for dominion?

The synonyms sway and dominion are sometimes interchangeable, but sway suggests the extent of exercised power or influence.

the empire extended its sway over the region

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 dominion The driver is dominion, not religion. —

Josef Joffe, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026 Cosmological queries were the dominion of philosophers, says Jenann Ismael—herself a philosopher of physics at Johns Hopkins University. —

Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 10 Feb. 2026 His strong-arming of universities, law firms, and media companies is a response to real problems, but his actions seem aimed more at harming those entities—and expanding his dominion over them—than at crafting enduring fixes. —

Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025 But with rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe, and the Palestinian population uniting in the largest and longest uprising against Britain’s 30-year dominion, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision. —

Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 27 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dominion

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dominion

Noun

Camus’s conspiracy that a cabal of powerful elites is plotting a great replacement to ensure the exploitation and domination of low- and middle-income White people is nothing short of a grand distraction.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Nothing cleanses the palate in quite the way some magic from a darling like Miami (Ohio) or domination by Duke can.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026

Definition of domination

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dominies

dominion

dominions

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“Dominion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dominion. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.

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Last Updated: 20 Mar 2026 - Updated example sentences

Synonyms of dominion

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