Preponderance
/prɪˈpɑːn.də.rəns/noun
The quality or state of being greater in number, amount, or importance.
Did you know?Its Latin ancestor, *praeponderare*, literally meant “to weigh more in front,” a vivid image of one side of a balance physically dragging the other down.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
praeponderare
“to outweigh, weigh more than”
Late Latin
Latin
praeponderantia
“the state of outweighing”
Old French
Old French
preponderance
“superiority in weight or force”
16th Century
English
preponderance
“excess weight or greater influence”
Modern English
English
preponderance
“greater amount, number, or force”