dominierte

Dominierte is the simple past tense form of the German verb dominieren, meaning to dominate or to be dominant. The word is used to describe a subject that held overriding influence or control in the past. In contemporary writing, dominieren is common in discussions of markets, groups, institutions, or events that once exerted strong, lasting influence.

Etymology and grammar: Dominieren comes from the Latin dominari, from dominus meaning master or lord. The past tense form dominierte is used with subjects in the third person singular or other appropriate subjects to indicate that the dominance occurred previously. It is often encountered in historical narratives, economics, politics, and sports reporting.

Usage and context: The term appears in descriptive prose to convey historical hegemony, market leadership, leadership in a competition, or the suppression of rivals. Synonyms and near-synonyms include beherrschte, vorherrschte, and Dominanz in noun form. The term is neutral and factual when used in encyclopedic or analytic writing.

Examples: Der Markt dominierte das europäische Telekommunikationsfeld im 19. Jahrhundert. In der Region dominierte eine einzige Firma den Obst- und Gemüsehandel. Solche Aussagen beschreiben vergangene Überlegenheit ohne Wertung.

Relation to related concepts: While dominieren describes active dominance, Dominanz (dominance) is the noun form, and dominant (adjective) is used to describe the quality of being dominant. In genetics, der Begriff dominant wird häufiger als fachterminus verwendet; öffentlichsprachlich erscheinen past-tense Formen wie dominierte in Berichten über Vergangenes.