Domination means having complete control or power over something or someone. When one team achieves total domination in a soccer match, they control the ball, dictate the pace, and win by a huge margin. The other team barely gets a chance to attack.

In history, powerful empires sought domination over weaker nations, controlling their governments, resources, and people. The Roman Empire's domination stretched across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East for centuries. This kind of domination usually meant the conquered people lost their freedom to make their own decisions.

The word often carries a negative feeling because it suggests one side has so much power that the other side can't compete fairly or freely. If one student dominates every class discussion, others might feel frustrated that they can't share their own ideas. But domination isn't always bad: when you practice piano until you achieve complete control over a difficult piece, that's a triumph of skill and dedication.

You'll also hear dominate as a verb (to dominate) and dominant as an adjective describing whoever or whatever has the most power or influence in a situation. A dominant wolf leads the pack, and a dominant company leads its industry.