Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| dominante | /domiˈnante/ |
| imperante | /impeˈɾante/ |
dominante is a direct translation of "dominant" and can be used in a wide range of situations to describe something that is predominant or common. Another formal option is preponderante, which carries a similar meaning but emphasizes a significant and prevailing influence.
Which one should you use?
While dominante refers to power or influence, imperante is used to describe a prevailing mood, trend or condition that is currently in effect.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the word cacique is used to refer to a dominant figure within a specific social context or locality.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective dominante is gender-neutral, meaning it remains the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. To make the word plural, add -s to form dominantes.
How do you pronounce it?
/domiˈnante/
Did you know?
- While dominante describes power, the related word dominar can also mean 'to speak a language fluently', such as dominar el inglés.
- Caciquismo is the specific political term for a system where caciques exert dominant control over local elections.
- The suffix '-ante' in dominante and imperante functions similarly to the English '-ing' in words like 'dominating' or 'prevailing'.
Examples in context
- Sus poemas subvierten la narrativa dominante de una "civilización occidental".Her poems subvert the dominant narrative of "Western civilization."This sentence shows how to use dominante to describe a narrative.Tatoeba #9962955 by manufrutos, translation #9962937 by shekitten
- El pensamiento introvertido es mi función cognitiva dominante.Introverted thinking is my dominant cognitive function.This sentence uses dominante to describe a cognitive function.Tatoeba #11112298 by DJ_Saidez, translation #10613146 by espamatics
- Ella es una figura dominante en su campoShe is a dominant figure in her field
- Es un factor preponderante en el desarrollo económicoIt is a dominant factor in economic development
- El equipo demostró su superioridad en el torneoThe team demonstrated their dominance in the tournament
- Mi hermana mayor es bastante mandonaMy older sister is quite bossy
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are discussing the architecture of a city.
- DanielEl estilo gótico es el más dominante aquí.The Gothic style is the most dominant here.
- ElenaEs cierto, se ve en cada edificio.That's true, it's seen in every building.
- Daniel¿Crees que sea la tendencia dominante hoy?Do you think it's the dominant trend today?
- ElenaNo, ahora prefieren el minimalismo, Daniel.No, they prefer minimalism now, Daniel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dominant” translations and entries dominante, imperante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
