Meaning & use
dominion
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Meanings
noununcountableformalliterary
Supreme power or authority to rule, control, or make decisions over something.
Grammar: Usually uncountable and followed by over: dominion over nature. Use control for everyday neutral contexts.
Patterns
- dominion over someone/something
- have dominion over
- exercise dominion
The poem imagines humanity claiming dominion over nature.
No elected official should have unlimited dominion over private life.
The treaty limited the empire's dominion overseas.
nouncountableliterary
A territory, realm, or domain governed by a ruler or authority.
Grammar: Countable in this concrete sense: a vast dominion. It is common in historical or literary contexts.
Patterns
- a dominion of the crown
- the vast dominions
- rule a dominion
The island was once a remote dominion of the crown.
The novel describes quarrels among lords over their dominions.
Canada became a self-governing dominion within the British Empire.
Word forms
| plural | dominions |
|---|
Common combinations
- dominion over nature
- Some stories warn against seeking dominion over nature.
- exercise dominion
- The council cannot exercise dominion over family decisions.
- a dominion of the crown
- The port grew rich as a dominion of the crown.
- vast dominions
- The emperor struggled to administer his vast dominions.
Synonyms and how they differ
- authority
- Authority is general power to decide; dominion is stronger and often literary or absolute.
- sovereignty
- Sovereignty is supreme legal power in a state; dominion can be broader or poetic.
- realm
- Realm can mean a kingdom or field of activity; dominion stresses rule or controlled territory.
Opposites
Word family
- dominate verb
- To have controlling power or influence over someone or something.
- domination noun
- The state or act of controlling others.
- dominant adjective
- Most powerful, important, or noticeable.
Commonly confused: dominion or dominate? dominion or domain?
dominion vs dominate
Dominate is the verb; dominion is mainly the noun for power or territory.
dominion vs domain
Domain can mean a field, website area, or territory; dominion emphasizes authority and rule.
Practice
In the phrase exercise ______ over the region, the best abstract noun is ______.
Choose one answer.
Exercise dominion over is a formal collocation meaning to rule. Domain is a place or field, dominate is a verb, and dominant is an adjective.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dominion”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.