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.
Example Sentences
Adjective the predominate color in the painting the predominate reason for the change Verb Older people predominate in that neighborhood.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The predominate memory of the dish is the peppery wake left in your mouth. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 22 July 2022 Of course, the predominate Blackness of the cast sets the film apart from other Westerns, which all but erase African Americans from that part of history. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2022 Islam is the predominate religion across the archipelago, which is reflected in the early morning calls-to-prayer, as well as the local dress. Summer Rylander, Travel + Leisure, 20 Feb. 2022 The result is for vanilla lovers, which is the predominate flavor, with delicate pepper and ginger spices and a toffee finish. Gina Pace, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2021 Growth investing has been the predominate strategy in the last five years (see Chart of the Day). Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2021 The fast-spreading Delta variant was the predominate strain during the trial.Fortune, 21 Oct. 2021 The latter includes six majority Black districts, two majority Hispanic and Latinx and one that does not have any one predominate minority group. Vanessa Swales, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1 Oct. 2021 The analysis used a 70 percent threshold for racial groups to determine the predominate racial group in each census tract.Washington Post, 6 Aug. 2021
Verb
His area, Central, has more Western-company branch offices and has less of a crush than Wanchai, where local firms predominate. Megumi Fujikawa, WSJ, 9 Aug. 2022 In contrast, bleak gray and dull surroundings predominate when characters escape their captors, essentially painting a grim future for anyone who dares step into the real world after the high illusion of faux happiness is fully ingested. Holly Jones, Variety, 18 July 2022 In time – say late this year and certainly by 2023 – negative influences will come to predominate, and the sector will suffer a correction. Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 16 May 2022 Flavors of Bing cherry, mushroom and forest floor predominate over a long, silky finish. Dave Mcintyre, Washington Post, 7 July 2022 Existential questions predominate for such characters, allowing only a fleeting look at parenting. Oliver Munday, The Atlantic, 17 June 2022 While Christian funds predominate among the religious offerings, Islamic funds also have gained a following, such as the Amana mutual funds managed by Saturna Capital. Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2022 Dijon, like many towns in France, has its projects, underprivileged areas of nondescript high-rises where immigrants, often Muslims from North Africa, and their descendants predominate, and the drug trade brings violence between rival gangs. Roger Cohen, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Apr. 2022 Even so, the interior design is stark and hard plastics predominate. Joe Lorio, Car and Driver, 6 May 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
alteration of predominant
Verb
Medieval Latin praedominatus, past participle of praedominari