predominantpre‧dom‧i‧nant /prɪˈdɒmɪnənt $ -ˈdɑː-/ AWL adjective 
Examples
the predominant group in society In this painting, the predominant colour is black.► see thesaurus at main
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Immigration is the predominant social issue of the day.
- When we visited the country, our predominant impression was one of poverty and hardship.
- Yellow is the predominant color in most of his paintings.
- A form of hospital where the predominant smell was dettol?
- Advocacy should become their predominant activity.
- Khan is a Pathan, the predominant group in the Northwest Frontier, although he grew up in Punjab.
- On the main line, the remorseless reduction in fleet sizes resulted in Mark 3 vehicles steadily being more predominant.
- The predominant clay mineral constituents in lake muds from both regions include smectite, illite-smectites and lesser kaolinite.
- The predominant view in Britain and other Western countries associates aging with decline, dependency, isolation, and often poverty.
- The addition of learning skills and the intelligent construction of knowledge through exploration gradually becomes a predominant feature of the transactional style.
- What are the predominant power strategies?
THESAURUS► main
Word family larger or more important than all the others: · the main entrance of the building· the main reason for his decision
► chief/principal most important. Chief and principal are more formal than main, and are often used in written English: · Coffee is the country’s principal export.· What is the company’s chief objective?
► major very important or serious: · Smoking is a major cause of heart disease.· Street crime is becoming a major problem.
► key most important, or the one that everything or everyone else depends on: · Education is likely to be a key issue in the election campaign.· Hooper was a key member of the team.· Diet is key.
► number one especially spoken most important or best – this phrase sounds a little informal and it is used especially in spoken English: · Reliability is the number one priority.· the number one cause of death· He is still in the number one position.
► primary most important – used especially about the most important aim, role, cause, or concern. Primary is more formal than main: · The primary aim of the project was to help students develop their communication skills.· Security is our primary concern.· The primary function of the university was considered to be the teaching of ‘the great cultural disciplines’.
► prime very important or most important – used especially about the most important reason, cause, or aim, or about the most likely target or suspect.Prime is more formal than main: · Their prime objective is to increase profits for their shareholders.· Tourists are prime targets for theft and robbery.
► core most important – used especially about the things that people should pay most attention to: · the core skills of reading and writing· He wants the company to focus on its core business – advertising.· The party’s core values are individual freedom and reducing the amount of government bureaucracy.
► central most important and having more influence than anything else: · The U.S. played a central role in the peace negotiations.· a central theme of the book· The central question is, why are people still so attached to their cars?
► predominant most common, typical, or important: · Yellow was the predominant colour everywhere.· High arched windows are a predominant feature in English churches.· New York still has a predominant role in the contemporary art world.·
Longman Language Activatormore important than anything else► main more important than anything else: · Ben's main problem was lack of money.· You should clearly state your main idea at the beginning of the essay.· We walked up the stairs to the main entrance of the building.· The main reason kids don't get vaccinated is that parents don't realize how important it is.
► chief/principal more important than anything else. Chief and principal mean the same as main , but they are used especially in written or formal English: · Coffee is the country's principal export.· Kendall's chief complaint about the opera is that the characters are not historically accurate.· The chief purpose of the march was to draw attention to the poor condition of schools.
► major one of the most important or serious things - use this especially when there is a small number of really important things, but a larger number of less important things: · Smoking is a major cause of heart disease.· I thought we agreed to talk to each other before making any major decisions.major city (=large and important city): · Gang activity that was limited to major cities has now spilled over to towns and rural areas.
► key a key person or thing is one that is the most important because everything depends on them: · We don't have much time, so let's concentrate on the key issues.· Transport and communications are key areas of the economy.be key to (doing) something: · Laws are key to maintaining an orderly society.
► primary: primary concern/responsibility/reason/role etc the most important one: · As always, security is our primary concern.· Financial reward is the primary reason most people work.
► prime: prime suspect/target/candidate the one most likely to be chosen: · Tourists are prime targets for theft and robbery. · The FBI regarded him as its prime suspect in the case.· Cheryl is a prime candidate for the new managerial position.
► predominant more noticeable, more powerful, or more common than others: · Yellow is the predominant color in most of his paintings.· When we visited the country, our predominant impression was one of poverty and hardship.
► core use this about the main and most important parts of a subject, activity, plan etc: · We concentrate most on teaching the core skills of reading, writing, and mathematics.· The government will discuss what they say are the core issues of education and health care.
WORD FAMILYadjectivepredominantverbpredominateadverbpredominantly
more powerful, more common, or more easily noticed than others: the predominant group in society In this painting, the predominant colour is black.► see thesaurus at main