Hegemony

noun

/hɪˈdʒeməni/ (also /ˈhedʒɪməni/)

Leadership or dominance, especially the predominant influence or control exercised by one state, group, or class over others within a system. It denotes preponderant authority that may be political, military, economic, cultural, or ideological rather than merely formal rule.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

India's foreign policy has long resisted any single power exercising hegemony over the Indo-Pacific, championing instead a multipolar order anchored in strategic autonomy and sovereign equality among nations.

Synonyms

dominancesupremacypredominanceascendancyprimacypreponderance

Antonyms

subordinationsubjugationparityequality

🌱 Word Family

hegemon (n), hegemonic (adj), hegemonically (adv), hegemonism (n), hegemonist (n)

🔡 Root

Greek hēgemonia = leadership, supremacy; hēgemōn = leader; hēgeisthai = to lead

📜 Etymology

From Greek hēgemonia 'leadership, supremacy', from hēgemōn 'leader', from hēgeisthai 'to lead'; borrowed into English in the mid-16th century, originally referring to the dominance of one ancient Greek city-state over others.

🧠 Memory Hook

Think "He-gem-ony": the one who holds the GEM (the crown jewel of power) leads and dominates all the rest, just as the Greek hēgemōn (leader) commanded the lesser city-states.

🤝 International Relations 📖 Seen in: India's Foreign Policy — Evolution, Do...

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