Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Superiority in weight, force, importance, or influence.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The state or quality of preponderating or outweighing; superiority in weight: as, preponderance of metal.
- noun Superiority in force, influence, quantity, or number; predominance.
- noun In gunnery, the excess of weight of that part of a gun which is to the rear of the trunnions over that in front of them.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The quality or state of being preponderant; superiority or excess of weight, influence, or power, etc.; an outweighing.
- noun (Gun.) The excess of weight of that part of a canon behind the trunnions over that in front of them.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun
Excess orsuperiority ofweight ,influence , orpower , etc.; anoutweighing . - noun obsolete The excess of weight of that part of a
cannon behind thetrunnions over that in front of them. - noun The greater portion of the weight.
- noun The majority.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun exceeding in heaviness; having greater weight
- noun a superiority in numbers or amount
- noun superiority in power or influence
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Were the thirst of riches to take absolute possession of every class of society, it would infallibly produce the evil complained of by those who see with regret what they call the preponderance of the industrious system; but the increase of commerce, by multiplying the connections between nations, by opening an immense sphere to the activity of the mind, by pouring capital into agriculture, and creating new wants by the refinement of luxury, furnishes a remedy against the supposed dangers.
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Were the thirst of riches to take absolute possession of every class of society, it would infallibly produce the evil complained of by those who see with regret what they call the preponderance of the industrious system; but the increase of commerce, by multiplying the connections between nations, by opening an immense sphere to the activity of the mind, by pouring capital into agriculture, and creating new wants by the refinement of luxury, furnishes a remedy against the supposed dangers.
Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 3 Alexander von Humboldt 1814
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But if that preponderance is leading to a world in which Russian and Chinese launch commanders are fingering nuclear hair triggers, the game may not be worth the candle.
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But if that preponderance is leading to a world in which Russian and Chinese launch commanders are fingering nuclear hair triggers, the game may not be worth the candle.
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We think it would be found that among women conversions from Protestantism to Catholicism preponderate, and that among men the preponderance is the other way about.
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That so-called preponderance standard is typically used in civil cases.
The Seattle Times 2011
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Without denying that they have weight, I think it may be made to appear that they have not the unquestionable preponderance, which is assumed for them.
Hints on Extemporaneous Preaching Henry Ware 1818
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In point of fact, the Soviet Union did develop what might best be called a preponderance of familiar weapons.
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In point of fact, the Soviet Union did develop what might best be called a preponderance of familiar weapons.
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He began with what may be described as a preponderance of the poetic element over the dramatic.
The New Hudson Shakespeare: Julius Cæsar William Shakespeare 1590
onursaka commented on the word preponderance
the preponderance of black population has immigrated from south to north.
February 18, 2012