noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/pɹɪˈpɒndəɹəns/
Received-Pronunciation:/pɹɪˈpɒndɹəns/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/pɹəˈpɑndəɹəns/
General-American:/pɹəˈpɑndɹəns/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P R IY0 P AA1 N D R AH0 N S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Superiority in amount or number; the bulk or majority; also, a large amount or number; an abundance, a profusion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: weight
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Superiority of influence, power, a quality, etc.; an outweighing, predominance, pre-eminence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Topics: engineering, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, tools, war, weaponry
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: preponderancy
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
exceeding in heaviness; having greater weight
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the least preponderance in either pan will unbalance the scale
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: heaviness, weightiness
6
noun
Meaning 6
a superiority in numbers or amount
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a preponderance of evidence against the defendant
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: prevalence
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: number, figure
7
noun
Meaning 7
superiority in power or influence
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the preponderance of good over evil
the preponderance of wealth and power
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: power, powerfulness
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English preponderant Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -iader. Old French -ancebor. Middle English -aunce English -ance English preponderance From preponderant + -ance.
Across languages
Translations
52 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
preponderància
— excess of weight of that part of a cannon behind the trunnions over that in front of them
Polish:
przewaga
— excess of weight of that part of a cannon behind the trunnions over that in front of them
Belarusian:
перава́га
(pjeraváha)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Bulgarian:
превъзходство
(prevǎzhodstvo)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Bulgarian:
превес
(preves)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Catalan:
preponderància
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Chinese Mandarin:
優勢 /优势
(yōushì)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Chinese Mandarin:
優越 /优越
(yōuyuè)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Czech:
přesila
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Czech:
převaha
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Esperanto:
superrego
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Estonian:
ülekaal
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Faroese:
yvirluti
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Faroese:
yvirvekt
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Finnish:
enemmistö
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Finnish:
enemmyys
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Finnish:
ylivoima
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
French:
prépondérance
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Georgian:
უპირატესობა
(uṗiraṭesoba)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
German:
Präponderanz
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
German:
Überlegenheit
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
German:
Übergewichtigkeit
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
German:
Übergewicht
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Greek:
κυριαρχία
(kyriarchía)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Greek:
υπεροχή
(yperochí)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Ido:
prepondero
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Irish:
trom
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Italian:
preponderanza
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Italian:
predominanza
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Japanese:
優越
(yūetsu)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Japanese:
優位
(yūi)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Japanese:
優勢
(yūsei)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Korean:
우세
(use)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Korean:
우위
(uwi)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Korean:
우월
(uwol)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Latin:
preponderantia
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Malayalam:
മുന്നിട്ടുനിൽക്കൽ
(munniṭṭunilkkal)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Norwegian Bokmål:
overvekt
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Norwegian Nynorsk:
overvekt
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Polish:
przewaga
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Portuguese:
preponderância
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Romanian:
preponderență
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Romanian:
precumpănire
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Russian:
переве́с
(perevés)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Russian:
преиму́щество
(preimúščestvo)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Russian:
превосхо́дство
(prevosxódstvo)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Serbo-Croatian:
пре̏вага
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Serbo-Croatian:
prȅvaga
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Spanish:
preponderancia
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Swedish:
övervikt
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Tamil:
தாக்கம்
(tākkam)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
Ukrainian:
перева́га
(pereváha)
— superiority of influence, power, etc. — see also predominance
