What does "preponderate" mean?
Preponderate: To overpower by stronger or moral power.
Additional senses
- 2.To cause to prefer; to incline; to decide. [Obs.] The desire to spare Christian blood preponderates him for peace. Fuller.
- 3.To exceed in weight; hence, to incline or descend, as the scale of a balance; figuratively, to exceed in influence, power, etc.; hence; to incline to one side; as, the affirmative side preponderated. That is no just balance in which the heaviest side will not preponderate. Bp. Wilkins.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00