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hegemony

hih-JEM-uh-nee /hɪˈdʒɛm.ə.ni/

nounC1GREUPSCCAT

academicformal

Leadership, dominance, or influence exerted by one social group, nation, or ideology over others.

In Antonio Gramsci's cultural Marxism, hegemony refers to ruling class domination achieved not by force, but by shaping social values so that their leadership seems natural and consensual.

The story behind the word. Ancient Greeks used 'hegemonia' to describe the dominant military and political leadership of city-states like Sparta or Athens over their allies. Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci expanded the term in prison during the 1930s to describe how cultural institutions persuade people to accept their own subjugation.

Word relationships

dominance: 'Dominance' can rely purely on physical or economic force, whereas 'hegemony' emphasizes dominant consent and cultural influence.
supremacy: 'Supremacy' highlights absolute authority, while 'hegemony' highlights ongoing systemic leadership.

subordination: Subordination represents the state of being controlled or directed by an influential power.

Commonly confused with

monopoly: Monopoly is single-seller market control; hegemony is broader social, political, or cultural leadership.

Word family

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

Collocations

cultural hegemony
hegemony of capital
global hegemony
challenge the hegemony

Example sentences

"The superpower maintained its global hegemony through trade agreements and military bases." Analysis of international relations.
"Cultural hegemony is achieved when the ruling class successfully projects its own particular worldview so that it comes to be accepted as common sense by all." Political theory on cultural dominance.

Memory hook

HE-GEM-ONY: A leader holding the 'GEM' of absolute power over everyone else. Dominance maintained by making power look normal.

When not to use

Do not use for simple temporary leadership; it refers to pervasive, structural control across culture or geopolitical spheres.

Fun facts

In political science, 'hegemonic stability theory' argues that the international system is most stable when a single nation-state is the dominant world power.