dominant Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun (music) the fifth note of the diatonic scale
  2. noun an allele that produces the same phenotype whether its paired allele is identical or different
    dominant allele.
  3. adjective exercising influence or control
    • television plays a dominant role in molding public opinion
    • the dominant partner in the marriage
  4. adjective (of genes) producing the same phenotype whether its allele is identical or dissimilar
  5. adjective satellite most frequent or common
    rife; predominant; prevalent; prevailing.
    • prevailing winds

WordNet

Dom"i*nant adjective
Etymology
L. dominans, -antis, p. pr. of dominari: cf. F. dominant. See Dominate.
Definitions
  1. 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.
    Syn. -- Governing; ruling; controlling; prevailing; predominant; ascendant.
Dom"i*nant noun
Definitions
  1. (Mus.) The fifth tone of the scale; thus G is the dominant of C, A of D, and so on.

Webster 1913