preponderant

adjective

Definition of preponderantnext
as in dominant
formal greater in number, force, or importance A preponderant number of visitors are from outside the country.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How is the word preponderant different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of preponderant are dominant, paramount, and predominant. While all these words mean "superior to all others in influence or importance," preponderant applies to an element or factor that outweighs all others in influence or effect.

preponderant evidence in her favor

In what contexts can dominant take the place of preponderant?

In some situations, the words dominant and preponderant are roughly equivalent. However, dominant applies to something that is uppermost because ruling or controlling.

a dominant social class

When is it sensible to use paramount instead of preponderant?

The meanings of paramount and preponderant largely overlap; however, paramount implies supremacy in importance, rank, or jurisdiction.

unemployment was the paramount issue in the campaign

When would predominant be a good substitute for preponderant?

Although the words predominant and preponderant have much in common, predominant applies to something that exerts, often temporarily, the most marked influence.

a predominant emotion

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of preponderant Market value was preponderant in determining the value of the piece of land that the state deemed worthy of expropriating. — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025 But the preponderant migrants’ motivation has been, and continues to be, to provide a better life for their families. — Bill Gray, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2025 With preponderant influence in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, Iran is the regional power that has best been able to take advantage of the crisis in the Middle East. — F. Gregory Gause Iii, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preponderant
  1. dominant
  2. typical
  3. predominant
  4. representative
Adjective
  • Apple’s dominant position on laptop longevity appears to have ended, at least with this Air, even though this is still a very good result.
    — PCMAG, PCMAG, 11 Mar. 2025
  • On the high school travel circuit, Cooper Flagg eschewed the more nationally dominant club teams to suit up, along with his brother and their buddies, for Maine United.
    — Sean Gregory, TIME, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of dominant
Adjective
  • Still, the market behavior to date – as dizzying and against-consensus has it’s been – has not deviated enough from a typical setback in a post-election growth scare to insist that the rules for assessing this market’s prospects have changed definitively with the leadership the White House.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2025
  • The average cost of full coverage in the U.S. is now $2,638 per year, meaning the typical household spends 3.39% of its income on insurance for just one car.
    — Ben Kesslen, Quartz, 15 Mar. 2025
Definition of typical
Adjective
  • Spirit is headquartered in Dania Beach and remains one of the predominant carriers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
    — David Lyons, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2025
  • One of the predominant worries of our age is the desire to live authentically.
    — David Katz, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of predominant
Adjective
  • And the comic books that featured them were often used as metaphors for social issues (the X-Men, for example, were representative of discrimination).
    — Marc Berman, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
  • In Alaska and New Mexico, for example, the average retiree benefit is more than $100 greater than each state’s median payment, which tends to be more representative of each place’s retiree population.
    — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of representative

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Cite this Entry

“Preponderant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preponderant. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of preponderant for Spanish Speakers

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