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hegemony

noun
hi-JEM-uh-nee/hɪˈd͡ʒɛm.ə.ni/

Pluralhegemonies

2 meanings of hegemony

Practice

  1. 1
    political controlnounformalcountable or uncountable
    Power or control over others, especially when one country or political group leads and controls the rest.

    For many years, one powerful country held hegemony over its smaller neighbors.

    The party lost its hegemony when voters turned against it.

    UsageSay one country has hegemony over others.

    Similardominance, domination, supremacy, ascendancy, dominion

    Note
  2. 2
    power through ideasnoununcountable
    Power one group has over another because the weaker group partly accepts it, not only because of force.

    The rich kept their hegemony because most people believed the system was fair.

    Movies and TV can help one group keep its hegemony by making its ideas seem normal.

    UsagePeople often say cultural hegemony.

    Similardominance, ascendancy

Practice

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Origin

From a Greek word meaning "leadership", from a verb meaning "to lead".

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

  • Hegemony derives from Ancient Greek ἡγεμονία, meaning leadership. en.wiktionary.org
  • The Greek source ultimately derives from a verb meaning to lead. en.wiktionary.org