DOMINANT

dominant

(adjective) exercising influence or control; “television plays a dominant role in molding public opinion”; “the dominant partner in the marriage”

dominant

(adjective) (of genes) producing the same phenotype whether its allele is identical or dissimilar

prevailing, prevalent, predominant, dominant, rife

(adjective) most frequent or common; “prevailing winds”

dominant

(noun) (music) the fifth note of the diatonic scale

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

dominant (plural dominants)

(music) 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.

(music) The triad built on the dominant tone.

(genetics) A gene that is dominant.

A species or organism that is dominant.

(BDSM) The dominating partner in sadomasochistic sexual activity.

Synonyms

• dominator

Adjective

dominant (comparative more dominant, superlative most dominant)

Ruling; governing; prevailing

Predominant, common, prevalent, of greatest importance.

(medicine) Designating the follicle which will survive atresia and permit ovulation.

Synonyms

• (ruling, governing): imposing

• (predominant, common): prevalent

Antonyms

• (ruling): obedient, submissive (one who obeys); defiant, rebellious (one who defys)

Source: Wiktionary

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Dom"i*nant, a. Etym: [L. dominans, -antis, p. pr. of dominari: cf. F. dominant. See Dominate.]

Definition: Ruling; governing; prevailing; controlling; predominant; as, the dominant party, church, spirit, power. The member of a dominant race is, in his dealings with the subject race, seldom indeed fraudulent, . . . but imperious, insolent, and cruel. Macaulay. Dominant estate or tenement (Law), the estate to which a servitude or easement is due from another estate, the estate over which the servitude extends being called the servient estate or tenement. Bouvier. Wharton's Law Dict.

– Dominant owner (Law), one who owns lands on which there is an easement owned by another.

Syn.

– Governing; ruling; controlling; prevailing; predominant; ascendant.

Dom"i*nant, n. (Mus.)

Definition: The fifth tone of the scale; thus G is the dominant of C, A of D, and so on. Dominant chord (Mus.), the chord based upon the dominant.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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