ENGLISH
REFERENCE

dominant

adj. · n.
US //ˈdɑmənənt// UK //dˈɒmɪnənt// dom·i·nant
  1. 1 powerful or influential (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    more powerful, important, or noticeable than others.

    commanding, controlling, or prevailing over others; having the most influence in a hierarchy or situation.

    Example

    The company has a dominant position in the market because it has no real competitors.

    Example

    The dominant political party maintained its influence by controlling the local media and securing key legislative appointments.
  2. 2 genetics (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

    describing a gene that shows its effect even if you only have one copy of it.

    relating to an allele that is expressed in the phenotype even when only one copy is present in the genotype.

    Example

    Brown eyes are usually a dominant trait, while blue eyes are recessive.

    Example

    In Mendelian genetics, the dominant allele masks the expression of the recessive one in heterozygous individuals.
Show 2 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 most common (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

    the most common or frequent thing in a particular place or group.

    prevailing or most frequent within a specific ecological or statistical context.

    Example

    Oak trees are the dominant species in this part of the forest.

    Example

    The dominant theme in her early poetry is the tension between industrial progress and the preservation of the natural world.
  2. 4 music (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Music

    the fifth note of a musical scale.

    the fifth degree of the diatonic scale, or the triad built upon that note.

    Example

    The song moves from the tonic chord to the dominant to create tension.

    Example

    The composer utilised a secondary dominant to modulate smoothly into the new key during the bridge section.
Origin

From Middle French dominant.

Word family

© 2026 English Reference