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Added 9 October 2026

dominant

/ˈdɒmɪnənt/ noun

In Latin: dominans, praevalens Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about dominant at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The fifth major tone of a musical scale (five major steps above the note in question); thus G is the dominant of C, A of D, and so on.
The triad built on the dominant tone.
Of an allele, that a heterozygote for the allele has the same phenotype as the homozygote.

adjective

Ruling; governing; prevailing
The dominant party controlled the government.
Predominant, common, prevalent, of greatest importance.
The dominant plants of the Carboniferous were lycopods and early conifers.
Of a body part, preferred and used with greater dexterity than the other, as the right hand of a right-handed person or the left hand of a left-handed one.

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French dominant.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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