Meanings
nounhegemony (countable and uncountable, plural hegemonies)
plural hegemonies
- countableformaluncountableDomination, influence, or authority over another, especially by one political group over a society or by one nation over others.
The idea of a German republic and confederacy like the American, is surely less fantastical than a hegemony to which nobody is willing to submit.
1820 [1819], “Germany and the Revolution”, in anonymous translator, The Pamphleteer, volume xxv, number 30, London, translation of Teutschland und die Revolution by J[oseph] Görres, page 572 - countableuncountableDominance of one social group over another, such that the ruling group or hegemon acquires some degree of consent from the subordinate, as opposed to dominance purely by force.
The two political parties battled viciously for hegemony.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἡγεμονία“supremacy or leadership, chief command”
- Englishhegemony
From Ancient Greek ἡγεμονία (hēgemonía, “supremacy or leadership, chief command”), from ἡγεμών (hēgemṓn, “a leader, guide, commander, chief”), from ἡγέομαι (hēgéomai, “to lead”). Early 19th-century usage influenced by German Hegemonie.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic هَيْمَنَة, سَيْطَرَة
- هَيْمَنَة (haymana)domination, influence, or authority over another
- سَيْطَرَة (sayṭara)domination, influence, or authority over another
Bulgarian хегемо́ния, госпо́дство
- хегемо́ния (hegemónija)domination, influence, or authority over another
- госпо́дство (gospódstvo)domination, influence, or authority over another
Catalan hegemonia
- hegemoniadomination, influence, or authority over another
Chinese Mandarin 霸權 /霸权, 領導權 /领导权
- 霸權 /霸权 (bàquán)domination, influence, or authority over another
- 領導權 /领导权 (lǐngdǎoquán)domination, influence, or authority over another
Czech nadvláda, hegemonie
- nadvládadomination, influence, or authority over another
- hegemoniedomination, influence, or authority over another
Danish hegemoni, overherredømme
- hegemonidomination, influence, or authority over another
- overherredømmedomination, influence, or authority over another
Dutch hegemonie, suprematie
- hegemoniedomination, influence, or authority over another
- suprematiedomination, influence, or authority over another
- heerschapdomination, influence, or authority over another
- overwichtdomination, influence, or authority over another
- preponderantiedomination, influence, or authority over another
Estonian hegemoonia
- hegemooniadomination, influence, or authority over another
Finnish hegemonia
- hegemoniadomination, influence, or authority over another
French hégémonie
- hégémoniedomination, influence, or authority over another
German Hegemonie, Vorherrschaft
- Hegemoniedomination, influence, or authority over another
- Vorherrschaftdomination, influence, or authority over another
Greek ηγεμονία
- ηγεμονία (igemonía)domination, influence, or authority over another
Hebrew הֶגְמוֹנְיָה
- הֶגְמוֹנְיָה (hegmónya)domination, influence, or authority over another
Hindi आधिपत्य
- आधिपत्य (ādhipatya)domination, influence, or authority over another
Hungarian hegemónia
- hegemóniadomination, influence, or authority over another
Icelandic forræði
- forræðidomination, influence, or authority over another
Irish ceannas
- ceannasdomination, influence, or authority over another
Italian egemonia
- egemoniadomination, influence, or authority over another
Japanese 覇権, ヘゲモニー
- 覇権 (haken)domination, influence, or authority over another
- ヘゲモニー (hegemonī)domination, influence, or authority over another
Korean 패권, 헤게모니
- 패권 (paegwon)domination, influence, or authority over another
- 헤게모니 (hegemoni)domination, influence, or authority over another
Latvian hegemonija
- hegemonijadomination, influence, or authority over another
Lithuanian hegemonija
- hegemonijadomination, influence, or authority over another
Malay hegemoni
- hegemonidomination, influence, or authority over another
Norwegian Bokmål hegemoni
- hegemonidomination, influence, or authority over another
Polish hegemonia
- hegemoniadomination, influence, or authority over another
Portuguese hegemonia
- hegemoniadomination, influence, or authority over another
Romanian hegemonie
- hegemoniedomination, influence, or authority over another
Russian гегемо́ния, госпо́дство
- гегемо́ния (gegemónija)domination, influence, or authority over another
- госпо́дство (gospódstvo)domination, influence, or authority over another
- игемо́ния (igemónija)domination, influence, or authority over another
Slovak hegemónia, nadvláda
- hegemóniadomination, influence, or authority over another
- nadvládadomination, influence, or authority over another
Spanish hegemonía
- hegemoníadomination, influence, or authority over another
Swedish hegemoni, herravälde
- hegemonidomination, influence, or authority over another
- herraväldedomination, influence, or authority over another
Tagalog ehemoniya
- ehemoniyadomination, influence, or authority over another
Thai อำนาจนำ, การครอบงำ
- อำนาจนำdomination, influence, or authority over another
- การครอบงำ (gaan-krɔ̂ɔp-ngam)domination, influence, or authority over another
Turkish hegemonya, üstünlük
- hegemonyadomination, influence, or authority over another
- üstünlükdomination, influence, or authority over another
Ukrainian гегемо́нія, панува́ння
- гегемо́нія (hehemónija)domination, influence, or authority over another
- панува́ння (panuvánnja)domination, influence, or authority over another
- володарюва́ння (volodarjuvánnja)domination, influence, or authority over another
- владарюва́ння (vladarjuvánnja)domination, influence, or authority over another
- царюва́ння (carjuvánnja)domination, influence, or authority over another
Urdu سِیادَت, غَلْبَہ
- سِیادَت (siyādat)domination, influence, or authority over another
- غَلْبَہ (ġalba)domination, influence, or authority over another
- بَرْتَری (bartarī)domination, influence, or authority over another
- چَودَھراہَٹ (caudharāhaṭ)domination, influence, or authority over another
- قِیادَت (qiyādat)domination, influence, or authority over another
- سَرْداری (sardārī)domination, influence, or authority over another
Vietnamese bá quyền
- bá quyềndomination, influence, or authority over another
Cite this entry
APA
hegemony. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hegemony
MLA
“hegemony.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hegemony. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hegemony,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hegemony.
Source: hegemony on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.