I. dom ‧ i ‧ nant 1 W3 AC /ˈdɒmənənt, ˈdɒmɪnənt $ ˈdɑː-/ BrE AmE adjective
1 . more powerful, important, or noticeable than other people or things ⇨ dominate :
The dominant male gorilla is the largest in the group.
Japan became dominant in the mass market during the 1980s.
its dominant position within the group
2 . controlling or trying to control other people or things – used to show disapproval SYN domineering :
a dominant personality
3 . technical a dominant ↑ gene causes a child to have a particular physical feature or illness, even if it has been passed on from only one parent ⇨ recessive :
The disease is under the control of a single dominant gene.
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THESAURUS
▪ powerful a powerful person, organization, group etc is able to control and influence events and other people’s actions:
the world’s most powerful nation
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Parliament had become more powerful than the King.
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a powerful political family
▪ influential having a lot of power to influence what happens, because people pay attention to what you say:
a highly influential fashion designer
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He’s one of the most influential figures in international politics.
▪ strong powerful – used about people or groups in politics who have a lot of supporters:
The communists were particularly strong in the big industrial cities.
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He is a strong voice in the state assembly.
▪ dominant more powerful than other people, groups, countries etc:
She was the dominant force in women’s tennis for many years.
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The company has a dominant position in the market.
II. dominant 2 BrE AmE noun [singular] technical
the fifth note of a musical ↑ scale of eight notes