supremacy
- 01 C1 Advanced
the position of having more power, authority, or influence than anyone else.
the state of being superior to all others in authority, power, or status. Often used in political or military contexts.
Simple“The empire struggled to maintain its military supremacy over the neighboring countries.”
In context“The naval supremacy of the British fleet during the nineteenth century allowed for the expansion of trade routes across the globe.”
UsageOften followed by the preposition 'over'.
SynonymsAntonymsinferioritysubordination - 02 C1 Advanced
the state of being better or more successful than all competitors.
the quality of being the best or most successful in a particular field or activity.
Simple“The team's supremacy in the league was clear after they won ten games in a row.”
In context“Technological supremacy in the semiconductor industry is a primary goal for many competing nations in the modern economy.”
Synonymssuperioritypreeminence - 03 C1 Advanced
the belief that one group of people is better than others and should have all the power.
the ideology or belief system asserting that a specific group is inherently superior to others and should exercise dominance over them.
Simple“The group was criticized for promoting ideas of racial supremacy.”
In context“Sociologists study how institutional structures can inadvertently maintain the supremacy of one social class over another.”
Teacher's tipIn modern social and political discourse, this sense is frequently used in the context of 'white supremacy' to describe systemic racism.
SynonymsexceptionalismchauvinismAntonyms
“As formerly enslaved people secured freedom and basic civil rights, pursued educational and economic opportunities, and gained political power, many white Americans sought to reassert white supremacy .”
From supreme + -acy (a variant of -cy). Compare with supremity and New Latin suprematia.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.