Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun, plural he·gem·o·nies.
- leadership or predominant influence exercised by one nation over others, as in a confederation.
- leadership; predominance.
- (especially among smaller nations) aggression or expansionism by large nations in an effort to achieve world domination.
noun plural -nies
- ascendancy or domination of one power or state within a league, confederation, etc, or of one social class over others
1560s, from Greek hegemonia “leadership, a leading the way, a going first;” also “the authority or sovereignty of one city-state over a number of others,” as Athens in Attica, Thebes in Boeotia; from hegemon “leader,” from hegeisthai “to lead,” perhaps originally “to track down,” from PIE *sag-eyo-, from root *sag- “to seek out, track down, trace” (see seek). Originally of predominance of one city state or another in Greek history; in reference to modern situations from 1860, at first of Prussia in relation to other German states.