dominant

 
Pronunciation: /ˈdɒmɪnənt/

adjective

  • having power and influence over others: they are now in an even more dominant position in the market
  • (of a high place) overlooking others.
  • Genetics relating to or denoting heritable characteristics which are controlled by genes that are expressed in offspring even when inherited from only one parent: it is the dominant gene causing polydactyly the mutant allele is dominant to the wild typeOften contrasted with recessive.
  • Ecology denoting the predominant species in a plant (or animal) community: red spruce is a dominant species in many types of forest
  • (in decision theory) denoting a choice that is at least as good as the alternatives in all circumstances, and better in some: holding back is here a dominant strategy

noun

  • 1 Genetics a dominant trait or gene: this disorder is inherited as a dominant
  • Ecology a dominant species in a plant (or animal) community: oak is a long-established dominant
  • 2 Music the fifth note of the diatonic scale of any key, or the key based on this, considered in relation to the key of the tonic.

Derivatives

dominantly

adverb

Origin:

late Middle English: via Old French from Latin dominant- 'ruling, governing', from the verb dominari (see dominate)