Domination

Domination is the state or condition of exerting power, influence, or control over others, resources, or events. It can arise from formal authority, such as political or legal power, or from informal influence, such as cultural legitimacy or economic leverage.

In politics and international relations, domination refers to asymmetric power relations where one actor or state, through coercion, bargaining power, or hegemonic influence, shapes the behavior or structure of others. The concept is linked to ideas of sovereignty, hegemony, and empire, as well as to resistance and contestation by weaker actors.

In economic and cultural spheres, domination may rest on control of resources, markets, information, or media, enabling the dominant group to influence norms, ideas, and consumer choices. Critics relate this to imperialism, globalization, and cultural homogenization, while opponents advocate strategies of solidarity and reform.

In biology and ecology, domination often refers to social or feeding hierarchies within a species, where dominant individuals secure better access to resources. Such hierarchies influence mating, survival, and social organization.

In mathematics and formal sciences, domination has precise meanings. In graph theory, a dominating set is a subset of vertices that covers the graph; in probability and order theory, domination describes comparative relationships; in game theory, a dominant strategy yields the best payoff regardless of others’ actions.