noun

hegemony

hih-JEM-uh-nee

Hegemony (noun) means Dominance by one country, group or class over others, especially political and economic leadership that others cannot easily challenge. Example: “The war ended two centuries of naval hegemony.”

noun

Dominance by one country, group or class over others, especially political and economic leadership that others cannot easily challenge.

"The war ended two centuries of naval hegemony."

"Smaller states resented the region's growing hegemony over trade routes."

formal The way a dominant group's ideas and values come to be accepted as ordinary common sense, so that its power is maintained by consent rather than force.

"The essay argues that cultural hegemony works best when nobody notices it working."

How to Use Hegemony

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishWhen one country or group is so powerful that it sets the rules for everyone else.

When to use it

Formal; common in politics, history and cultural theory.

Memory tip

Both hih-JEM-uh-nee and HEJ-uh-moh-nee are accepted; the first is more common in British English.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

hierarchy → autonomy → imperialism →

Common pairings

cultural hegemony global hegemony regional hegemony challenge the hegemony

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The war ended two centuries of naval _____.

Etymology

From Greek hēgemonia, 'leadership' or 'authority', from hēgemōn, a leader.

Origin: Greek

Synonyms

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dominance supremacy ascendancy predominance control

Antonyms

subordination parity equality

Related Words

power control hold management authority master ensure manage

Rhymes for hegemony

Sony Tony pony bony ebony agony phony irony peony loony Stony Saxony

See all rhymes for hegemony →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between hegemony and imperialism?

Imperialism means directly ruling or occupying other territories. Hegemony is looser: the dominant power shapes what others do through influence, money, alliances and prestige, without needing to govern them. A hegemon leads; an empire rules.

What does cultural hegemony mean?

It describes a situation in which the beliefs and tastes of a dominant group come to feel natural and universal to everyone, including those the arrangement disadvantages. Because the ideas are accepted willingly, the power behind them is largely invisible.

How is hegemony pronounced?

The most widespread pronunciation is hih-JEM-uh-nee, with a soft g. HEJ-uh-moh-nee and hih-GEM-uh-nee with a hard g are also recorded and not considered wrong.

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