Etymologically
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predominant

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Pronunciation

  • /pɹɪˈdɒmɪnənt/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Middle French predominant,[2][3][4][5] recorded in French from 1372–4,[2] the present participle of predominer (“to predominate”).[2][5] The French verb comes from Medieval Latin praedominor (“to predominate”),[3][4] formed from prae- (“before”) and dominor (“to rule, govern”),[3][4] from dominus (“lord, master”), from domus (“house”).[4] The Shorter Oxford and Dictionary.com also allow a direct borrowing of the Medieval Latin participle,[6][7] which in British sources meant forming the main or most abundant element from about 1200.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Having ascendancy or prevailing influence over others: 1575, in Rolland's Treatise of the Court of Venus.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The Shorter Oxford notes that the word was first used in astrology and physiology,[6] of influences that rule over others.[6][4] From 1601 it took the weaker sense of forming the main or strongest element, prevailing,[2][6] which Etymonline dates to about 1600.[4] Johnson (1755) defined it as "prevalent; supreme in influence; ascendent".[8] From 1796 it could describe something that towers over its surroundings,[2][6] and in heraldry, from 1765, a tincture covering the whole shield.[2] As a noun it meant a predominating influence or quality from 1589,[2] and a person's besetting sin from 1633 to 1770;[2][6] in Scotland predominants were still preached against in this sense.[9]

Timeline

  • 1575 – having ascendancy or prevailing influence.[2][3]
  • 1589 – noun, a predominating influence or quality.[2]
  • 1601 – forming the main or most abundant element.[2]
  • 1633 – noun, a besetting sin (obsolete by 1770).[2]
  • 1765 – in heraldry, of a tincture covering the whole field.[2]
  • 1796 – towering over other objects.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Having the greatest power, influence or authority; dominant: the predominant party in the coalition.[3][10][2]
  2. Most common or prevalent; forming the main element: Grey is the predominant colour of the old town.[10][2][3]

Noun

  1. (rare) Something that predominates.[3][2]
  2. (obsolete, 1633–1770) A person's besetting sin.[2][6]

Word family

  • predominantly
  • predominancy

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  7. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  8. ^ Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.
  9. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)
  10. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins