dominant narrative

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   The story or explanation about an event or group that most people in a society accept and repeat.

   Grammar: You can say 'the dominant narrative' or 'a dominant narrative'; the plural is 'dominant narratives'.

   Patterns

   • the dominant narrative about something
   • challenge the dominant narrative
   • reinforce the dominant narrative

   The dominant narrative about the war focused on heroes and ignored civilian suffering.

   Her research challenges the dominant narrative that success comes only from individual effort.

   Social media can spread a dominant narrative very quickly, even when the facts are unclear.

2. 2nouncountabletechnical

   In narrative studies, the main storyline that organizes a text or film and shapes how readers understand it.

   Grammar: Used in academic writing about stories; it can refer to a single text's main plot pattern.

   Patterns

   • the dominant narrative of a novel
   • analyze the dominant narrative

   The novel's dominant narrative is a quest, but the subplots question its values.

   Students were asked to identify the dominant narrative in the film and compare it with the book.

Word forms

Common combinations

challenge the dominant narrative

The documentary challenges the dominant narrative about the city's history.

reinforce the dominant narrative

Such headlines often reinforce the dominant narrative rather than question it.

the dominant narrative around something

There is a dominant narrative around immigration that ignores economic evidence.

question the dominant narrative

Younger historians began to question the dominant narrative of national progress.

Synonyms and how they differ

mainstream view

Focuses on the opinion most people hold, not on the story-like way it is told.

official story

Suggests an account given by authorities; it may be narrower than a society-wide dominant narrative.

conventional wisdom

Refers to widely accepted beliefs, often used when those beliefs may be wrong.

Opposites

Word family

narrative noun

A story or account of events.

narrative adjective

Relating to storytelling, as in 'narrative structure'.

dominance noun

The state of being more powerful or more noticeable than others.

Commonly confused: dominant narrative or master narrative?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “dominant narrative”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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