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Dominant vs Predominate - What's the difference?

dominant | predominate |

As adjectives the difference between dominant and predominate

is that dominant is ruling; governing; prevailing; controlling while predominate is (nonstandard) predominant.

As a noun dominant

is (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.

As a verb predominate is

to dominate, have control, or succeed by superior numbers or size.

dominant

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (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.
  • (BDSM) The dominating partner in sadomasochistic sexual activity.
  • * 2011 , Jayne Rylon, Mistress's Master (page 65)
  • His story was a fable you told dominants in training to stress the importance of comprehending the depths of your submissive's needs.

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Ruling; governing; prevailing; controlling.
  • The dominant party controlled the government.
  • * Macaulay
  • The member of a dominant race is, in his dealings with the subject race, seldom indeed fraudulent, but imperious, insolent, and cruel.
  • Predominant, common, prevalent, of greatest importance.
  • The dominant plants of the Carboniferous were lycopods and early conifers.
  • * 2009 , H. Stephen Stoker, General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry , page 10
  • All other elements are mere "impurities" when their abundances are compared with those of these two dominant elements.

    Synonyms

    * imposing * prevalent

    Antonyms

    * (ruling) obedient, submissive (one who obeys''); defiant, rebellious (''one who defys )

    predominate

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (obsolete)

    Verb

  • To dominate, have control, or succeed by superior numbers or size.
  • To be prominent; to loom large; to be the chief component of a whole.
  • To dominate or hold power over, especially through numerical advantage; to outweigh.
  • Synonyms

    * preponderate

    Adjective

    (head)
  • (nonstandard) predominant
  • English terms derived from Latin ----