Ask Difference

Dominate vs. Predominate — What's the Difference?

By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 4, 2024
Dominate implies exerting control or power over others, while predominate suggests being most common or prominent in a group.
Dominate vs. Predominate — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Dominate and Predominate

ADVERTISEMENT

Key Differences

Dominate refers to having power or influence over others, often in a controlling manner. Whereas, predominate means to be the most common or widespread element within a particular group or area.
Dominate can apply to individuals or groups exerting control in social, political, or personal contexts. On the other hand, predominate is typically used in a more abstract sense, describing characteristics or elements that are most frequent in a statistical context.
In usage, dominate often carries a slightly negative connotation, suggesting an imbalance of power. While, predominate is generally neutral, indicating a natural or statistical majority.
Dominate is also used in sports and other competitive contexts to describe overwhelming superiority or control over opponents. Whereas, predominate rarely appears in such contexts, being more suited to discussions of trends or characteristics.
When discussing ideas or trends, dominate can describe an idea that overshadows others in discourse or influence. Conversely, predominate describes an idea or trend that is most common among a set of others, without necessarily implying control or suppression.
ADVERTISEMENT

Comparison Chart

Definition

Exerting control or influence over others.
Being the most common or prominent.

Usage Context

Social, political, personal control.
Statistical, demographic prevalence.

Connotation

Often negative (control, overpower).
Neutral (commonality, majority).

Common Domains

Relationships, politics, sports.
Statistics, demographics.

Example of Use

"The team dominated the league this season."
"Blue is the predominant color in the painting."

Compare with Definitions

Dominate

Exert control over.
She dominates the conversation at every meeting.

Predominate

Most common or widespread.
Casual attire predominates in the office.

Dominate

Rule or command.
Historically, the empire dominated the region.

Predominate

Main influence or authority.
Economic factors predominate the discussion.

Dominate

Overwhelm or overpower.
The team dominated their rivals in the final.

Predominate

Be the strongest or main element.
Optimistic views predominate in the report.

Dominate

Be the most important.
This issue will dominate the next election.

Predominate

Overcome or prevail.
Green predominates over blue in this painting.

Dominate

Outshine others.
The lead actor dominated the stage with his performance.

Predominate

Most noticeable or significant.
Modern styles predominate in the new architecture.

Dominate

The Dominate is the name sometimes given to the "despotic" later phase of imperial government, following the earlier period known as the "Principate", in the ancient Roman Empire. This phase is more often called the Tetrarchy at least until 313 when the empire was reunited.It may begin with the commencement of the reign of Diocletian in AD 284, following the Third Century Crisis of AD 235–284, and to end in the west with the collapse of the Western Empire in AD 476, while in the east its end is disputed, as either occurring at the close of the reign of Justinian I (AD 565) or of Heraclius (AD 641).

Predominate

To have or gain controlling power or influence; prevail
Good predominates over evil in many literary works.

Dominate

Have power and influence over
The company dominates the market for operating system software

Predominate

To be of or have greater quantity or importance; preponderate
French-speaking people predominate in Quebec.

Dominate

To control, govern, or rule by superior authority or power
Successful leaders dominate events rather than react to them.

Predominate

To dominate or prevail over.

Dominate

To exert a supreme, guiding influence on or over
Ambition dominated their lives.

Predominate

Predominant.

Dominate

To enjoy a commanding, controlling position in
A drug company that dominates the tranquilizer market.

Predominate

(intransitive) To dominate, have control, or succeed by superior numbers or size.

Dominate

To be the most abundant in
Grasses dominate most salt marshes.

Predominate

(intransitive) To be prominent; to loom large; to be the chief component of a whole.

Dominate

To overlook from a height
A view from the cliffside chalet that dominates the valley.

Predominate

(transitive) To dominate or hold power over, especially through numerical advantage; to outweigh.

Dominate

To have or exert strong authority or mastery.

Predominate

Predominant.

Dominate

To be situated in or occupy a position that is more elevated or decidedly superior to others.

Predominate

To be superior in number, strength, influence, or authority; to have controlling power or influence; to prevail; to rule; to have the mastery; as, love predominated in her heart.
[Certain] rays may predominate over the rest.

Dominate

To be predominant in an ecosystem.

Predominate

To rule over; to overpower.

Dominate

To govern, rule or control by superior authority or power

Predominate

Be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance;
Money reigns supreme here
Hispanics predominate in this neighborhood

Dominate

To exert an overwhelming guiding influence over something or someone

Predominate

Appear very large or occupy a commanding position;
The huge sculpture predominates over the fountain
Large shadows loomed on the canyon wall

Dominate

To enjoy a commanding position in some field

Predominate

Having superior power and influence;
The predominant mood among policy-makers is optimism

Dominate

To overlook from a height.

Dominate

To precede another node of a directed graph in all paths from the start of the graph to the other node.

Dominate

Dominant.

Dominate

(historical) The late period of the Roman Empire, following the principate, during which the emperor's rule became more explicitly autocratic and remaining vestiges of the Roman Republic were removed from the formal workings of government; the reign of any particular emperor during this period.

Dominate

To predominate over; to rule; to govern.
We everywhere meet with Slavonian nations either dominant or dominated.

Dominate

To be dominant.

Dominate

Be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance;
Money reigns supreme here
Hispanics predominate in this neighborhood

Dominate

Be in control; rule the roost;
Her husband completely dominates her

Dominate

Have dominance or the power to defeat over;
Her pain completely mastered her
The methods can master the problems

Dominate

Look down on;
The villa dominates the town

Common Curiosities

What does it mean to dominate in a relationship?

It means one partner exerts control or influence over the other.

Is predominate used to describe feelings or emotions?

Predominate is generally used to describe quantifiable elements, not emotions.

What does it mean when one color predominates?

It means that one color is more noticeable or used more frequently than others.

Is it negative to dominate in a conversation?

It can be seen as negative if it suppresses others' opportunities to speak.

Does predominate imply superiority?

No, it implies being more common or widespread, not necessarily superior.

How do athletes dominate their sports?

Athletes dominate by consistently outperforming their competitors.

Can ideas predominate in a society?

Yes, certain ideas can become more widely accepted or prevalent in society.

What does it mean when a trend predominates in fashion?

It means this trend is the most visible or widespread during a particular time.

Can predominate be used in legal contexts?

It can be used to describe the most common outcomes or characteristics in cases.

Can a company dominate a market?

Yes, a company can dominate a market by controlling a large portion of the sales.

How does one team dominate another in football?

By showing superior skill, strategy, and control during the game.

What role does technology predominate in modern life?

Technology plays a leading and pervasive role in many aspects of modern life.

Share Your Discovery

Share via Social Media
Embed This Content
Embed Code
Share Directly via Messenger
Link
Previous Comparison
Award vs. Certificate
Next Comparison
Jokily vs. Jokingly

Author Spotlight

Written by
Tayyaba Rehman
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat

Popular Comparisons

Trending Comparisons

New Comparisons

Trending Terms