Words / B2

DOM-in-uh-nt/ˈdɒmɪnənt/

Dominant means most powerful, common, or noticeable: the dominant firm; a dominant narrative. Predominant is close; prevailing is a cousin. Recessive is a genetics opposite, not for essays on markets. Do not call a minority view dominant. In academic writing, the dominant explanation is the one most widely accepted for now.

Meaning

More powerful, important, or noticeable than others.

Examples

• “English is the dominant language of the scientific journals in this field.”
• “English is the dominant language of the conference proceedings.”
• “A dominant retailer can squeeze suppliers, which is the market sense.”

Good to know

a dominant + noun; be dominant. Noun: dominance. Close: predominant. Not a fringe view. Verb: dominate.

Near in meaning

predominant

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