hegemony.

Dominant influence or leadership exercised by a state, group, or system over others.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• cultural hegemony
• regional hegemony
• challenge hegemony

On the page

The empire's naval hegemony shaped the terms of regional trade.

The curriculum helped sustain the cultural hegemony of the urban elite.

Economic decline did not immediately end the state's ideological hegemony.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic. Academic in political and cultural analysis. Some theories emphasize consent and accepted norms rather than direct coercion alone. Do not use merely for any advantage. Usually uncountable in the recorded sense; no ordinary plural. Derived family (not inflections): hegemonic.