preponderant

adjective

pre·​pon·​der·​ant pri-ˈpän-d(ə-)rənt How to pronounce preponderant (audio)
1
: having superior weight, force, or influence
2
: having greater prevalence
preponderantly adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for preponderant

dominant, predominant, paramount, preponderant mean superior to all others in influence or importance.

dominant applies to something that is uppermost because ruling or controlling.

a dominant social class

predominant applies to something that exerts, often temporarily, the most marked influence.

a predominant emotion

paramount implies supremacy in importance, rank, or jurisdiction.

unemployment was the paramount issue in the campaign

preponderant applies to an element or factor that outweighs all others in influence or effect.

preponderant evidence in her favor

Examples of preponderant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
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 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 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 In theory the Russian and Indian constitutions are religiously neutral, but in practice each has a preponderant faith (respectively Orthodox Christianity and Hinduism), and both religious minorities and secularists complain of discrimination. The Economist, 14 Dec. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of preponderant was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Preponderant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preponderant. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

preponderant

adjective
pre·​pon·​der·​ant pri-ˈpän-d(ə-)rənt How to pronounce preponderant (audio)
1
: having greater weight, force, or influence : predominant
2
: having greater frequency
preponderantly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on preponderant

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