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.
Difference Between Dominate and Predominate
Table of Contents
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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.
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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.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba 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