preponderate (v.)

1610s, "to weigh more than," from Latin praeponderatus, past participle of praeponderare "outweigh, make heavier," from prae "before" (see pre-) + ponderare "to weigh," from pondus "weight," from stem of pendere "to hang, cause to hang; weigh" (from PIE root *(s)pen- "to draw, stretch, spin").

Intransitive sense is from 1620s. Meaning "to exceed in force or power" is from 1799. In 17c. English had a verb preponder "outweigh in importance," but it seems not to have survived. Related: Preponderating; preponderation.

also from 1610s

Entries linking to preponderate

preponderance (n.)

1680s, "greater heaviness, fact of exceeding in weight," from Latin praeponderans, present participle of praeponderare "make heavier" (see preponderate). Sense of "greater importance" is from 1780; that of "greater number" is from 1845. Related: Preponderancy.

preponderant (adj.)

"of greater weight or influence," mid-15c., from Latin praeponderantem (nominative praeponderans), present participle of praeponderare "outweigh; make heavier" (see preponderate). Related: Preponderantly.

preponderous

*(s)pen-

pre-

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Trends of preponderate

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

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reign

early 13c., regne, "kingdom, state governed by a monarch," senses now obsolete, from Old French reigne "kingdom, land, country" (Modern French règne), from Latin regnum "kingship, dominion, rule, realm," which is related to regere "to rule, to direct, keep straight, guide" (from

predominate

1590s, "to have or exert controlling power," from Medieval Latin praedominatus, past participle of *praedominare from Latin prae "before" (see pre-) + dominari "to rule, dominate, to govern," from dominus "lord, master," from domus "house" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household")

lure

early 14c., "something which allures or entices, an attraction" (a figurative use), originally the name of a device for recalling a hawk, from Anglo-French lure, Old French loirre "device used to recall hawks, lure," from Frankish *lothr or some other Germanic source, from Proto-

rule

c. 1200, "principle or maxim governing conduct, formula to which conduct must be conformed" from Old French riule, Norman reule "rule, custom, (religious) order" (in Modern French partially re-Latinized as règle), from Vulgar Latin *regula, from Latin regula "straight stick, bar,

prevail

c. 1400, prevailen, "be successful; be efficacious," from Old French prevaleir (Modern French prévaloir) and directly from Latin praevalere "be stronger or more able, have greater power," from prae "before" (see pre-) + valere "have power, be strong" (from PIE root *wal- "to be s

dominate

1610s, "to rule over, control by mastery," a back-formation from domination or else from Latin dominatus, past participle of dominari "to rule, dominate, to govern," from dominus "lord, master," from domus "house" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household"). Meaning "have chief infl

obituary

1706, "register of deaths, a list of the dead," from Medieval Latin obituarius "a record of the death of a person," literally "pertaining to death," from Latin obitus "departure, a going to meet, encounter" (a euphemism for "death"), from stem of obire "go toward, go to meet" (as

realism

"the doctrine of a realist," in any sense of that word, 1794, originally in philosophy, from real (adj.) + -ism; after French réalisme or German Realismus; from Late Latin realis "real." In reference to scholastic doctrine of Thomas Aquinas (opposed to nominalism), it is recorded

catharsis

1770, "a bodily purging" (especially of the bowels), from Latinized form of Greek katharsis "purging, cleansing," from stem of kathairein "to purify, purge," from katharos "pure, clear of dirt, clean, spotless; open, free; clear of shame or guilt; purified" (with most of the exte

remember

mid-14c., remembren, "keep or bear (something or someone) in mind, retain in the memory, preserve unforgotten," from Old French remembrer "remember, recall, bring to mind" (11c.), from Latin rememorari "recall to mind, remember," from re- "again" (see re-) + memorari "be mindful

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updated on October 20, 2020

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Dictionary entries near preponderate

prepay

prepend

prepense

preponderance

preponderant

preponderate

preponderous

preposition

pre-position

prepositional

prepossess