Predominant means the most common or strongest of its kind. The predominant view, predominant colour, predominantly rural.
It claims a majority or a leading share rather than universality — a predominant view is not the only one, which is why it is safer than saying everybody thinks so. Predominantly is the commoner form. Note dominant, and that the Latin means ruling over, from dominus, a master.
1adjectivepredominantThe most common or strongest of its kind.
“Blue is the predominant colour in the painting.”
predominant is a quality of prevalence.
Medieval Latin praedominans is prae plus dominari, to rule, from dominus, a master. Dominate and dame come from the same mastery.
Medieval Latin
praedominans
Middle French
prédominant
English, today
predominant
From Middle French prédominant, ultimately from Medieval Latin praedominans. by surface analysis, en + pre- + dominant.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA