supremacy
noun
su·prem·a·cy
sə-ˈpre-mə-sē 
sü-,
also -ˈprē-
plural supremacies
1
: the quality or state of being supreme
especially
: a position of unquestioned authority, dominance, or influence
military/naval supremacy
In the 20th century, two completely different models of how to run an economy battled for supremacy. —
Bill McKibben
Bill McKibben Natal's well-watered valleys … became by the end of the 18th century the site of a contest for supremacy … —Noel Mostert
Noel Mostert Every high school boasts its elite squad of lookers: sparkling teeth, merciless anatomy, sunny filaments of hair … . Between classes, they parade down the halls, trooping their supremacies like Clydesdales. —Richard Lacayo
Richard Lacayo 2
: ultimate authority or power
belief in the supremacy of God
Synonyms
Examples of supremacy in a Sentence
the Roman empire had supremacy over the entire Mediterranean world
the supremacy of cashmere among wools accounts for its high price
Recent Examples on the Web
By Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times TAIPEI, Taiwan — The U.S.-China rivalry has a new flashpoint in the battle for technology supremacy: electric cars.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024
Following Art's losing streak, Tashi spurs him on to compete for courtside supremacy in a match against his former best friend — and Tashi's former boyfriend — Patrick, played by Josh O'Connor.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
And tiny island nations in the Pacific, which hold great strategic value in the contest for naval supremacy, have also been beneficiaries of China’s charm offensive.
—Olivia Wang, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
This year, the Boilermakers have odds second only to UConn in the fight for men's college basketball supremacy and are roughly 9-point favorites against North Carolina State on Saturday in Arizona.
—NBC News, 7 Apr. 2024
The new film is Warners and Legendary’s fifth installment in the MonsterVerse series, following the events of Godzilla vs. Kong, where fans finally got to see the two apex kaijus fight for supremacy.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
His latest record of 6.23 meters, achieved at last year’s world championships, is seven centimeters higher than anyone else has managed in the history of the sport, a testament to his supremacy in the pole vault over the past four years.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Tensions between citizens of African and Indian descent, encouraged under colonialism, turned violent at independence and set off a bitter contest for governing supremacy that continues to this day.
—Gaiutra Bahadur Keisha Scarville, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
But the Chinese foreign policy establishment remains torn about whether Beijing should directly and immediately challenge the leadership of the United States for a shot at supremacy.
—Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024
Following Art's losing streak, Tashi spurs him on to compete for courtside supremacy in a match against his former best friend — and Tashi's former boyfriend — Patrick, played by Josh O'Connor.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
And tiny island nations in the Pacific, which hold great strategic value in the contest for naval supremacy, have also been beneficiaries of China’s charm offensive.
—Olivia Wang, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
This year, the Boilermakers have odds second only to UConn in the fight for men's college basketball supremacy and are roughly 9-point favorites against North Carolina State on Saturday in Arizona.
—NBC News, 7 Apr. 2024
The new film is Warners and Legendary’s fifth installment in the MonsterVerse series, following the events of Godzilla vs. Kong, where fans finally got to see the two apex kaijus fight for supremacy.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
His latest record of 6.23 meters, achieved at last year’s world championships, is seven centimeters higher than anyone else has managed in the history of the sport, a testament to his supremacy in the pole vault over the past four years.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Tensions between citizens of African and Indian descent, encouraged under colonialism, turned violent at independence and set off a bitter contest for governing supremacy that continues to this day.
—Gaiutra Bahadur Keisha Scarville, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
But the Chinese foreign policy establishment remains torn about whether Beijing should directly and immediately challenge the leadership of the United States for a shot at supremacy.
—Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'supremacy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near supremacy
Cite this Entry
“Supremacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supremacy. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
supremacy
noun
su·prem·a·cy
sə-ˈprem-ə-sē
plural supremacies
1
: the quality or state of being supreme
2
: supreme authority or power
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