hegemony

noun

he·ge·mo·ny hi-ˈje-mə-nē

-ˈge-

ˈhe-jə-ˌmō-nē

Synonyms of hegemony next

: preponderant influence or authority over others : domination

battled for hegemony in Asia

: the social, cultural, ideological, or economic influence exerted by a dominant group

hegemonic

ˌhe-jə-ˈmä-nik

ˌhe-gə-

adjective

Did you know?

Hegemony refers to a kind of domination. It was borrowed in the mid-16th century from the Greek word hēgemonia, a noun formed from the verb hēgeisthai, “to lead.” At first hegemony was used specifically to refer to the control once wielded by ancient Greek states; later it was applied to domination by other political actors. By the 19th century, the word had acquired a second sense referring to the social or cultural influence wielded by a dominant entity over others of its kind, a sense employed by design scholar Joshua Langman when describing the use of found objects by French artist Marcel Duchamp (he of notorious readymade Fountain fame) as a means “to question and criticize the values of the artistic hegemony by eschewing craft entirely.”

Examples of hegemony in a Sentence

… the very concept of "scientific truth" can only represent a social construction invented by scientists (whether consciously or not) as a device to justify their hegemony over the study of nature. —

Stephen Jay Gould, Science, 14 Jan. 2000

When Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, in June of 1941, distracted Japan's traditional rival for hegemony in East Asia, Japanese expansionists saw a historic opportunity. —

David M. Kennedy, Atlantic, March 1999

If mermaids had ceased to challenge scientific hegemony, other similarly mythological creatures rushed in to fill their places in Victorian hearts and minds. —

Harriet Ritvo, The Platypus and the Mermaid, 1997

They discussed the national government's hegemony over their tribal community. European intellectuals have long debated the consequences of the hegemony of American popular culture around the world.

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.

The country must learn to stand on its own, Hayek said, and the end of Iranian hegemony could provide an opportunity. —

Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024 Tehran, like Moscow, seeks to foment unrest among Americans, with the larger aim of undermining American global hegemony. —

David Shedd, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2024 But this year, ahead of the trophy’s tenth birthday, Emmy forecasters are looking at a new late-night host whose unconventional, six-episode pop-up-season show could bust up the hegemony. —

Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 June 2024 The Kremlin’s sense that BRICS can be a refuge from the domineering hegemony of the United States has only grown more pronounced since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. —

Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hegemony