Home › Political Science & Governance › Geopolitics & International Relations › hegemony

hegemony

hi-JEM-uh-nee /hɪˈdʒɛməni/

nounC2GRESATUPSC

academicpolitical

Leadership or dominant influence exercised by one nation, state, or social group over others.

Unlike empire or direct rule, hegemony often operates through economic, cultural, or strategic dominance rather than formal territorial conquest.

The story behind the word. In ancient Greece, a 'hegemon' was a city-state like Sparta or Athens chosen to lead a league of allied states against common enemies. The Greek verb 'hegeomai' meant simply 'to lead' or 'to guide'. Over centuries, the term shifted from the leader of a voluntary alliance to a state that holds overwhelming economic, political, and military power over others.

Word relationships

dominance: Dominance is general superiority in power, whereas hegemony specifically implies systemic political, economic, or cultural leadership over satellite nations.
supremacy: Supremacy denotes top position in a hierarchy, while hegemony emphasizes active control and influence over peers.

subordination: Subordination is the condition of being secondary or subject to another power.
marginalization: Marginalization refers to being pushed to the periphery without power.

Commonly confused with

sovereignty: Sovereignty is internal legal authority; hegemony is external influence over other sovereign states.

Word family

hegemonic (adjective): Ruling or dominant in a political or social context.
hegemon (noun): A dominant state or leader.

Collocations

regional hegemony
cultural hegemony
global hegemony
challenge hegemony

Idioms & expressions

hegemonic power

Example sentences

"The nation sought to maintain its economic hegemony by controlling key trade routes and international currency reserves." Global Economics
"Gramsci argued that cultural hegemony allows the ruling class to dominate society through ideas rather than physical force." Political Theory

Memory hook

HE GEts MONEY and power—a hegemon commands the entire global playing field. Leader of the entire arena.

When not to use

Do not use for simple internal authority within a single country; it describes systemic dominance across a region or global order.

Fun facts

Ancient Sparta was named hegemon of the Peloponnesian League during the Persian Wars, giving birth to our modern political term.