predominant Hear it!

predominant Definition

pre·domi·nant (prē däm′ə nənt, pri-)

adjective

  1. having ascendancy, authority, or dominating influence over others; superior
  2. most frequent, noticeable, etc.; prevailing; preponderant

Etymology: Fr prédominant < ML predominans, prp. of predominari: see pre- & dominant

predominant Related Forms

pre·dom′i·nance noun or pre·dom′i·nancy

pl. -·cies

pre·dom′i·nantly adverb

predominant Synonyms

predominant

modif.

  1. Supreme in power

    mighty, almighty, supreme, omnipotent, all-powerful, ascendant, reigning, ruling, overruling, prevailing, prevalent, controlling, supervisory, directing, influential, dominant, dominating, authoritative, arbitrary, paramount, preponderant, preeminent, imperious, absolute, executive, official, potent, weighty, effective, efficacious, overpowering, governing, holding the reins; see also powerful 1.

    Antonyms incompetent*, submissive*, inferior. *

  2. Of first importance

    transcendent, surpassing, superlative; see principal.

predominant refers to that which is at the moment uppermost in importance or influence the predominant reason for his refusal; dominant refers to that which dominates or controls, or has the greatest effect dominant characteristics in genetics; paramount is applied to that which ranks first in importance, authority, etc. of paramount interest to me; preeminent implies prominence because of surpassing excellence the preeminent writer of his time; preponderant implies superiority in amount, weight, power, importance, etc. the preponderant religion of a country

predominant Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • currently: VR supports the approach to learning which is currently predominant: constructivism.
  • so: The psychic end is so predominant that you forget to ask about the muscle end.
  • still: However, the picture is very different in the US, where homosexual infections are still predominant.
  • increasingly: He set out the guidelines for pensions reform in the millenium, emphasizing the importance of sound policies on this increasingly predominant issue.
  • equally: In Isaac's history the feminine element is equally predominant.
  • now: Whites of Abingdon I visited Henley last Monday and Whites are now predominant on the local services.

Preposition: at

time: Some of them were interviewed and explained which idea was predominant at that time in the orientation of the studies.

Modifies a noun

  • pathogen: Influenza A and B viruses are the predominant viral pathogens.
  • paradigm: In this country, the predominant paradigm, positivism, is based around scientific inquiry.
  • mode: We should aim for public transport to become the predominant mode for travel beyond cycling distance.
  • theme: These themes are useful here in that they were also predominant themes in the films of the period.
  • species: In a previous geologic era on Earth [ the Paleozoic ] , the predominant species was this little crab called the Trilobite.
  • mood: The predominant mood of the working class of the 1860s, unlike that of the 1840s, was reformist not revolutionary.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: The black areas can become predominant giving a black ladybird with a few red spots.
  • remain: This strategy has a number of strands but its underlying theme ' car bad, bicycle good ' remains predominant.
  • emerge: Either the proletariat would proceed to nationalize the entire economy, or inevitably the capitalist system would emerge predominant.
  • appear: If one social class appears predominant, then other classes, particularly those below, may be resentful and critical of their efforts.

Preposition: in

  • area: Wire and messenger are predominant in rear assembly areas.
  • north: Later, the two other deities became more important, Vishnu becoming predominant in the north and Shiva in the south.
  • world: Database systems are predominant in the world of IT and continue to demand more complex data structures as applications get increasingly sophisticated.