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

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 Italy has a colonial past, of course, and its government forces committed atrocities in areas under Italian dominion in East Africa between the 1880s and 1941. — Kaitlyn Rabe, The Conversation, 16 June 2026 That myth has been debunked numerous times, including as part of Fox News' 2023 $787 million settlement with voting machine company Dominion, but Berntsen, a former CIA operative, has been pushing it for years. — Miles Parks, NPR, 16 June 2026 Furthermore, the maturation of just-war theory from matters of states’ dominion to human rights and global law enforcement has led to a morphing of just-war theory. — Keith Tidman, Baltimore Sun, 15 June 2026 Or could an upstart that prioritizes love and mercy, say, over dominion lure away their customers? — Michael Luo, New Yorker, 14 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for dominion

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dominion

Noun

Most recently, he’s rallied to add a further bit of brightness to his public profile by turning in a stellar domination of the Ohio Derby, much to the relief of his veteran trainer Steve Asmussen and his jockey Jose Ortiz.

— Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
The quick, decisive defeat marked Rome’s final domination of the peninsula and solidified their influence over regional trade and military routes.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 July 2026

Definition of domination

Noun

Xi came to power after the 2008 protests in Tibet and deadly unrest in Xinjiang, another frontier region of modern China where ethnic minorities have long chafed under Beijing’s rule and witnessed a huge security crackdown.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Ultimately, both sides are jockeying for power after the war, given the unusual uncertainty brought on by the change in the supreme leadership.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of power

Noun

Its upcoming open-source release challenges the notion of Western AI dominance, signaling China has closed the technological gap.

— Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
This is due to a growing sense throughout Europe that FIFA is seeking to make incursions into both UEFA’s dominance and income.

— Adam Crafton, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of dominance

Noun

Ceuta’s residents recalled a similar but smaller migration crisis in 2021, when the Moroccan government dropped its border controls and let several thousand people from Morocco and sub-Saharan countries into Ceuta over two days.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
The competitive edge is shifting from raw model intelligence to efficient operations, specialized data, and infrastructure control.

— Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of control

Noun

In June, the European Commission unveiled its most comprehensive initiative yet to strengthen the bloc’s technological sovereignty.

— Lidia Kurasinska, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government is demanding that the US clarify the conditions under which the arrest occurred, alleging a possible violation of national sovereignty.

— Sol Amaya, CNN Money, 20 July 2026

Definition of sovereignty

Noun

By the mid-nineteenth century the Hawaiian throne, and the British, were both losing power as the growing cartel of US plantation bosses aggressively sought sway.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
Aside from securing more than $1 billion in new funding for public transit, the state’s new landmark mass transit law centralizes planning, budgeting and service standards across the agencies and gives Preckwinkle more sway in their decision-making.

— A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 16 July 2026

Definition of sway

Noun

Increasing popularity and selling as many tickets as is possible boosts revenues; revenues can be used to reinvest in infrastructure and to make tournaments better in the ongoing arms race for supremacy between the four Grand Slams.

— James Hansen, New York Times, 27 July 2026
But for at least this coming season, home will be in Philadelphia, alongside a talented cast that should be able to contend for an NBA title and certainly challenge the defending champion New York Knicks for Eastern Conference supremacy.

— Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 July 2026

Definition of supremacy

Noun

Morgan has spent months answering the criticism that her title reign leans on Judgment Day interference, and WWE gave her the finish without a single outside assist at the 100-day mark of the reign.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
One man Slot was regularly compared to at the back end of his Liverpool reign was compatriot and former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.

— Gregg Evans, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of reign

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“Dominion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dominion. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of dominion

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