Predominantly

How to spell predominantly

13 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce predominantly

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does predominantly mean?

1. adverbFor the most part; mainly or chiefly.

Predominantly in a sentence

• The workforce is predominantly female, with only a handful of men.

• Her diet is predominantly plant based, though she eats fish occasionally.

Where does predominantly come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word descends from the Latin verb dominari, meaning 'to rule, to be lord over', which itself was built on dominus, meaning 'lord' or 'master', the head of a Roman household. From this came the idea of one thing holding sway or being in command over others. The form 'predominant' added the prefix pre-, meaning 'before' or 'in front', to give a sense of one element holding the most prominent or commanding position. English picked up 'predominant' in the 1500s, partly through French, and the adverb 'predominantly' followed as the natural way to say 'for the most part' or 'mainly'. The same dominus root still echoes in everyday relatives such as 'dominate', 'dominion', and even 'dame', so the spelling trap is really just remembering the buried 'domin' core and the four-syllable ending '-antly'.

How the word is built

• pre- (before, in front)
• domin (from Latin dominari, to rule or master)
• -ant (forming an adjective: ruling)
• -ly (forming an adverb)