preponderant

Definition of preponderantnext

Synonym Chooser

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 American grand strategists also need to ask whether the country still benefits from being the preponderant provider of global public goods, such as freedom of navigation. Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025 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 The relevance and recent growth of regional Mexican music has become undeniable, and today, the genre holds a preponderant place within the industry. Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 16 Mar. 2023 Under federal law, race cannot be a preponderant motive in drawing a district, wrote Dr. Cervas, a fellow at Carnegie Mellon University. Jimmy Vielkind and Eliza Collins, WSJ, 21 May 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preponderant
Adjective
  • Kaneland trailed 1-0 but Frey was dominant going into the sixth.
    Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The Seahawks leaned on a collective pass rush rather than one dominant star, finishing the season as one of the league’s more effective defensive fronts.
    Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Safonov, who began his football career in Krasnodar’s academy aged 12, is not your typical footballer.
    Tom Burrows, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Performing new music at the Williamsburg, Brooklyn, bar’s long-running open mic is just a typical Sunday night for him and many other patrons.
    Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Habeas petitions have become the predominant path for immigrants seeking release from detention.
    Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Besides Paisley Park, the second most predominant setting in her life with Prince is Marbella, Spain.
    Darío Gael Blanco, Vanity Fair, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • According to the company, the representative underwater mission offered a more realistic measure of usable range than a simple straight-line transit figure.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Popular dishes on the dinner menu include fresh pastas, chaya raviolis, the rib eye aguachile, and the torta ahogada, while the lunch menu offers all of the most representative dishes of Yucatecan cuisine.
    Regina Zumarraga, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Preponderant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preponderant. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

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