dominant

/ˈdɒmɪnənt/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: dominants

Sense 1

Meaning · English

The fifth major tone of a musical scale (five major steps above the note in question); thus G is the dominant of C, A of D, and so on.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Nốt thứ năm của thang âm (năm bước lớn kể từ nốt đang xét)

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

The triad built on the dominant tone.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Trì tuông xây trên nốt chủ đạo

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

Ruling; governing; prevailing

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Chủ đạo, thống trị, chi phối

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

The dominant party controlled the government.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

Predominant, common, prevalent, of greatest importance.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Chủ đạo, phổ biến, quan trọng nhất

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

The dominant plants of the Carboniferous were lycopods and early conifers.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “dominant” mean?

The fifth major tone of a musical scale (five major steps above the note in question); thus G is the dominant of C, A of D, and so on.

Is “dominant” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.