hegemony
noun
-ˈge-
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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.”
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Examples of hegemony in a Sentence
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.
Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 Jan. 2025
Geopolitical alignment is increasingly less stable, moving away from traditional superpower bipolarity and hegemony, giving new countries greater influence.
—John M. Bremen, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Where Alcaraz and Sinner do recall the Big Three’s hegemony is how their extraterrestrial talent demands players to play outside themselves to beat them.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
Yet many researchers find another reason to worry about the spread of English: the prospect of cognitive hegemony.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Hegemony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hegemony. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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