dəˈminyən noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English dominioun, from Middle French dominion modification of Latin dominium — more at domain
1.
a. : a supremacy in determining and directing the actions of others or in governing politically, socially, or personally : acknowledged ascendancy over human or nonhuman forces such as assures cogency in commanding or restraining and being obeyed : sovereignty
the federal government's claim of dominion over the resources of the marginal sea
I became profoundly conscious of the dominion of unalterable law — John Buchan
theorists who suggested that man had dominion over the environment through his intellect — S.F.Mason
b. : the exercise of such supremacy or ascendancy : rule
little people striving to free themselves from the dominion of their oppressors
of the way young people should look, and of the things they should do, under the dominion of the passion — George Meredith
c. : preponderant or overriding influence : dominance
the fact is that the free dominion of the mind and of art has never been achieved in capitalist democracy — J.T.Farrell
neither in their lives nor their work were they able to escape the dream's dominion — Leo Marx
he possessed, superlatively, that air of dominion by which it is possible to single out the stage favorite — Osbert Sitwell
2. : something that is subject to sovereignty or control
3.
a. : the estate or domain of a feudal lord
b. : a territory or country subject to a ruler or under the control of a particular government
the dominions of a king
c. : the special realm of activity or influence of a particular branch of art or knowledge : domain
4. dominions plural : an order of angels — see celestial hierarchy
5. often capitalized : one of the self-governing, autonomous states within the British Commonwealth equal in status with the United Kingdom and with each other
as far as the world of states is concerned, Dominion status is tantamount to statehood — H.M.Clokie
born in reaction against colonial inferiority, Dominion nationalism was promptly stimulated by the advances in autonomy and in turn furthered these advances — Alexander Brady
6. : absolute ownership : dominium
Synonyms: see power