dominant

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.