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Dominant vs Sovereign - What's the difference?

dominant | sovereign |

As nouns the difference between dominant and sovereign

is that dominant is 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 while sovereign is a monarch; the ruler of a country.

As adjectives the difference between dominant and sovereign

is that dominant is ruling; governing; prevailing; controlling while sovereign is exercising power of rule.

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 )

    sovereign

    English

    (wikipedia sovereign)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Exercising power of rule.
    • sovereign nation
  • Exceptional in quality.
  • Extremely potent or effective (of a medicine, remedy etc.).
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), (The Faerie Queene) , III.v:
    • The soueraigne weede betwixt two marbles plaine / She pownded small, and did in peeces bruze, / And then atweene her lilly handes twaine, / Into his wound the iuyce thereof did scruze
  • * (rfdate) Dryden
    • a sovereign remedy
  • * (rfdate) South
    • Such a sovereign influence has this passion upon the regulation of the lives and actions of men.
  • Having supreme, ultimate power.
  • Princely; royal.
  • * (rfdate) Shakespeare
    • most sovereign name
  • Predominant; greatest; utmost; paramount.
  • * (rfdate) Hooker
    • We acknowledge him [God] our sovereign good.

    Derived terms

    * sovereignly

    Synonyms

    * autonomous * supreme

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A monarch; the ruler of a country.
  • * Jefferson
    • No question is to be made but that the bed of the Mississippi belongs to the sovereign , that is, to the nation.
  • One who is not a subject to a ruler or nation.
  • A gold coin of the United Kingdom, with a nominal value of one pound sterling but in practice used as a bullion coin.
  • A very large champagne bottle with the capacity of about 25 liters, equivalent to 33? standard bottles.
  • Any butterfly of the tribe , as the (ursula) and the viceroy.

    • Hyponyms

    * (monarch) king, queen

    Derived terms

    * sovereignty

    See also

    * half sovereign/half-sovereign English words not following the I before E except after C rule