ˈdäməˌnāt, usu -ād.+V verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Latin dominatus, past participle of dominari to rule, govern, from dominus lord, master — more at dame
transitive verb
1.
a. : to hold supremacy or mastery over by reason of superior power, strength, authority, or prowess
it has been said that whoever dominates Germany controls Europe
regional blocs dominated by the great powers might well defy the decisions of the Security Council — Vera M. Dean
the Cabinet dominates the government of a province in much the same way and to the same extent as the federal Cabinet dominates the government of Canada — R.M.Dawson
the family financial houses that dominated prewar Japan's industry
a racketeer- dominated union
b. : to hold in subjection through force of personality or other intangible force
the emotions of the prima donna in the hour when she dominates her audience must be unique — Arnold Bennett
the resentment of subordination and the tendency to dominate others are both grounded in fear — G.S.Blum
the power to alter and so to dominate much of his environment — W.E.Swinton
2.
a. : to determine decisively the course or aim or the direction of development of
the Nile dominates all life in Egypt for good and for bad — Herbert Moller
two other leaders dominate that dynamic age: Innocent III and Frederick II — Will Durant
the highest efficiency cannot be produced in any human being unless his whole character and his whole activity be dominated by some sentiment or passion — C.W.Eliot
b. : to exert the supreme determining or guiding influence upon
I have been criticized for “being dominated” by ideas rather than dominating them while composing — J.D.Cook
painting, essentially a two-dimensional art, was for centuries dominated by the effort to achieve tridimensionality — Herbert Read
Brown was well over 50 years of age before the idea of freeing the slaves by force dominated his mind
3. : to overlook from a superior elevation or command because of superior height
the once fiery volcano dominates the land for a hundred miles around — G.W.Long
the Presidentials dominate the other mountain ranges — Bernard DeVoto
a war-memorial tower dominates the campus
the meetinghouse which dominates the square — R.M.Hodesh
4.
a. : to overspread or permeate so as to push all else into the background : predominate
the cypress, gum, and white cedar which dominate this swamp forest
Easterners early fixed the culture pattern dominating this section
this dream pervades the life of a culture as the fantasies of night dominate the mind of a sleeper — Lewis Mumford
the idea of inescapable illness and operations dominated his life some years before he died — R.T.Hopkins
b. : to occupy in respect to prevalence or prominence the foremost position in
cotton manufacture dominates the city
name brands dominate the market
in Congress law dominates the professions
national security expenditures continue to dominate the budget
Egyptian art is dominated by religion
5.
a. : to prevail or be paramount in by virtue of superior or significant quality
he is one of those figures that dominate an age — Clive Bell
collecting rather than creating man dominates the art scene at the moment — Emily Genauer
his eyes were closed and no longer dominated his face with their fierce pride — T.B.Costain
b. : to hold a preeminence in or over especially so as to submerge all else in obscurity
in his interiors … color so dominates the canvas that the composition dissolves into a series of lights — Denys Sutton
budgetary developments so drastic as to dominate the economic outlook — R.A.Musgrave
intransitive verb
1. : to hold superiority or mastery in power or strength
it was necessary for her to dominate and enslave, all her virtues — her strong lust to serve, to give, to nurse, to amuse — came from the imperative need for dominance over almost all she touched — Thomas Wolfe
his lust for power, his craving to dominate , his burning sense of a historical mission given to him by God — W.L.Shirer
2. : to provide directive control : constitute governing or determining influence
at times such material considerations as oil are allowed to dominate — Karl Baehr
the application by the courts of the method of sociology … . Even when it does not seem to dominate , it is always in reserve — B.N.Cardozo
a dominating factor in industrial growth
3. : to occupy a more elevated or superior position
a village nestled under a dominating crag
4. : to prevail over or exceed all others in number, proportion, or frequency
flimsy temporary structures dominate — P.S.Fritz
the dominating rocks are granitic
the dominating winds are westerly
5. : to surpass or overshadow all others in prominence, recognition, prestige
let one color dominate , using it in the largest areas — Betty Fisk
the dominating theme in all this avant-garde fiction — G.A.Wagner