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Predominant vs. Predominate
Predominant and predominate are synonymous adjectives. Predominant is the older and much more common form. A number of handbooks and commentators hold predominate to be a mistake—a few insisting that the word is only a verb. But they are wrong. As an adjective predominate is somewhat more likely to turn up in technical writing than in general writing. The adverbs predominantly and predominately are a more even match in frequency than their base adjectives are, although predominantly is still significantly more common than predominately.
Examples of predominate in a Sentence
Griselda Flores, Billboard, 6 Dec. 2024
Strong geometries predominate, whether the sweeping roofline of a Dominican Republic vacation home (AD, July/August 2021) or the internal grid of a New Orleans Creole cottage (AD, April 2024).
—The Editors Of Ad, Architectural Digest, 4 Dec. 2024
Julianna Bragg, CNN, 12 Dec. 2024
Fear, the emotion that predominates in Le Corbeau, seems familiar — lingering from the tyrannical Covid lockdowns, Stasi-like doxxing, denunciations, and the social antagonism endured through political partisanship.
—Armond White, National Review, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for predominate 
Dictionary Entries Near predominate
Cite this Entry
“Predominate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predominate. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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