predominately

Predominately is an adverb meaning chiefly, for the most part, or to a greater degree than others. In contemporary standard English, the preferred form is predominantly. Predominately is commonly treated as a misspelling or nonstandard variant and appears mainly in informal writing or historical texts.

Etymology and form: The root is predominant, from Latin praedominari, with the typical English adverb formed by adding -ly to produce predominantly. The spelling predominately has emerged through analogy with other -ately adverbs, but this diverges from the established form and is not widely accepted in formal contexts. Some dictionaries note predominately as an alternative spelling, but it is generally regarded as nonstandard.

Usage: The standard usage is to indicate that something is the main or most common characteristic or portion of a whole. For example, “The population is predominantly rural.” In formal or professional writing, predominantly is preferred, and predominately should be avoided except perhaps in quoted material or when documenting historical spellings. When encountered in editorial work, prefer the conventional form and reserve predominately for contexts where a nonstandard spelling is explicitly intended.

Related terms: predominant (adjective), predominance (noun), and predominantly (adverb) represent the standard morphological family. Predominately is acknowledged by some sources as a variant, but it is not the recommended form in modern style and usage guides.