hegemony

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

hegemony
    n 1: the dominance or leadership of one social group or nation
         over others; "the hegemony of a single member state is not
         incompatible with a genuine confederation"; "to say they
         have priority is not to say they have complete hegemony";
         "the consolidation of the United States' hegemony over a
         new international economic system"

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Hegemony \He*gem`o*ny\, n. [Gr. ?, fr. ? guide, leader, fr. ? to
   go before.]
   Leadership; preponderant influence or authority; -- usually
   applied to the relation of a government or state to its
   neighbors or confederates. --Lieber.
   [1913 Webster]

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