preponderance

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word preponderance. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word preponderance, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say preponderance in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word preponderance you have here. The definition of the word preponderance will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofpreponderance, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: prépondérance

English

Etymology

From preponderant +‎ -ance.

Pronunciation

Noun

preponderance (countable and uncountable, plural preponderances)

  1. Superiority in amount or number; the bulk or majority; also, a large amount or number; an abundance, a profusion.
    Synonym: (obsolete) preponderancy
    • 1857, R Harries Jones, “Part the Second”, in The Japhetic Races. A Historical and Ethnological Inquiry into the Consanguinity of Various European Races. , Göttingen: Printed at the University Press by W. Fr. Kaestner, →OCLC, section II, page 36:
      trong proofs are at hand to shew, that in the Irish people there is a large admixture, if not an overwhelming praeponderance, of Iberian elements.
    • 1997 August 17, Patricia Holt, “Just add sand; trash fiction for end-of-the summer beach reading”, in San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco, Calif.: Hearst Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 1:
      Is there a preponderance of female protagonists in commercial fiction, and if so, what does it mean?
    • 2000 April 17, Paul Van Slambrouck, “California’s brightest star is, well, gray”, in The Christian Science Monitor, Boston, Mass.: Christian Science Publishing Society, →ISSN, →OCLC:
      Subtle, institutional discrimination was evident in the preponderance of blacks and underprivileged whites fighting the war.
  2. Superiority of influence, power, a quality, etc.; an outweighing, predominance, pre-eminence.
    Synonyms: (obsolete) preponderancy, preponderation
  3. (obsolete) Greater physical weight.
    Synonym: (obsolete) preponderancy
    1. (specifically, weaponry, historical) The excess of weight of that part of a cannon behind the trunnions over that in front of them.

Alternative forms

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading