predominant

/prɪˈdɑmɪnɪnt/

/prɪˈdɒmɪnɪnt/

If you’re talking about the most popular or common thing, call it predominant. If the predominant feeling in a neighborhood is that pizza is the best food, the result might be pizzerias being the predominant type of restaurant there.

The adjective predominant describes a person or thing with great power or influence, or something that is prevalent. It comes from the Latin prefix prae-, “before,” and dominari, “to rule.” For example, because so many people like hip-hop, it might be the predominant music heard at a school dance. And that neighborhood with all the pizzerias? Teenagers are the predominant customers, and pepperoni is the predominant topping.

Definitions of predominant

1. adjective

   having superior power or influence
   “the predominant mood among policy-makers is optimism”

   synonyms: overriding, paramount, predominate, preponderant, preponderating, prepotent

   dominant

   exercising influence or control
2. adjective

   most frequent or common
   synonyms: dominant, prevailing, prevalent, rife

   frequent

   coming at short intervals or habitually