different between preponderance vs ascendency

English

Etymology

From preponderant +? -ance (suffix forming nouns indicating a condition or state); preponderant is derived from Latin praeponder?ns, the present active participle, or praeponderant, the third-person plural present active indicative, of praeponder? (“to give more influence or weight to, preponderate”), from prae- (prefix meaning ‘before; in front’) + ponder? (“to weigh; to ponder, reflect on, weigh up”) (from pondus (“weight; a pound; consequence, importance”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- (“to stretch”)).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /p???p?nd???ns/, /p???p?nd??ns/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /p???p?nd???ns/, /p???p?nd??ns/
• Hyphenation: pre?pon?der?ance

Noun

preponderance (countable and uncountable, plural preponderances)

1. (obsolete) Greater physical weight.

   Synonym: (obsolete) preponderancy

   1. (specifically, weaponry, historical) The excess of weight of that part of a cannon behind the trunnions over that in front of them.
2. Superiority in amount or number; the bulk or majority; also, a large amount or number; an abundance, a profusion.

   Synonym: (obsolete) preponderancy
3. Superiority of influence, power, a quality, etc.; an outweighing, predominance, pre-eminence.

   Synonyms: (obsolete) preponderancy, preponderation

Alternative forms

• praeponderance (obsolete, rare)
• præponderance (obsolete, rare)

Derived terms

• preponderance of evidence, preponderance of the evidence

Related terms

Translations

References

Further reading

• preponderance in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• preponderance in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

English

Noun

ascendency (plural ascendencies)

1. Alternative spelling of ascendancy