Hegemony
noun /hɪˈdʒɛməni/ — The dominance of one group through influence as much as force.
Definition
Leadership or dominance, especially of one country or social group over others — achieved through a combination of political, economic, cultural, and ideological influence rather than mere force alone.
Beyond the definition
Hegemony is power that has become invisible because it has been naturalized — when the rules of the dominant group feel like the rules of nature. Gramsci's insight was that hegemony is maintained not through tanks but through culture: what seems normal, what is taught in schools, what counts as common sense.
Origin & history
From Greek hegemonia (leadership), from hegemon (leader), from hegeisthai (to lead). Used in modern political theory primarily through the influence of Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci's concept of cultural hegemony.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
American cultural hegemony spread through film and music as much as through political force.
The hegemony of English in global business is so complete that it rarely requires enforcement.
She studied how hegemony works through consensus — the agreement of the governed to be governed.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Hegemony” when the meaning fits your context: Leadership or dominance, especially of one country or social group over others — achieved through a combination of political, economic, cultural, and ideological influence rather than mere force alone.
Synonyms
dominance, supremacy, cultural power, soft power
Antonyms
subjugation, resistance, counter-hegemony
Related words
Hegemony vs dominance
Dominance refers to any form of overpowering influence, often through physical force. Hegemony typically describes a more subtle, systemic leadership or indirect influence held by one group over others, often through cultural or economic means.
Word in the Wild
Illustrative story: an imagined scene, not a documented event or interview.
Britain didn't need to force people to speak English, wear English clothes, or aspire to English standards of civilisation. The empire had made English the language of advancement, English tastes the measure of refinement, English institutions the model of good governance.
The power enforced itself.
The empire is gone. The language remains. The measure of refinement remains. The invisible rules — which accent sounds authoritative, which literature counts as literature — remain. Power, when it is deep enough, outlasts its own architecture.
Questions about this word
What does "Hegemony" mean?
Hegemony is noun meaning: The dominance of one group through influence as much as force.. Leadership or dominance, especially of one country or social group over others — achieved through a combination of political, economic, cultural, and ideological influence rather than mere force alone.
Where does the word "Hegemony" come from?
From Greek hegemonia (leadership), from hegemon (leader), from hegeisthai (to lead). Used in modern political theory primarily through the influence of Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci's concept of cultural hegemony.