Hegemony

Greek hegemonia — leadership, supremacy. From hegemón — leader, guide. Used in ancient Greece to describe the dominant city-state in an alliance. Reintroduced into political theory through the Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci, whose concept of 'cultural hegemony' — dominance through ideas rather than force — has been enormously influential.

In international relations: the dominance of a single state. In cultural theory (Gramsci's usage): the way a dominant group maintains power by making its values, assumptions, and worldview seem natural and universal rather than particular and imposed. 'American hegemony' can refer to military and economic dominance; 'cultural hegemony' refers to the global spread of American media, language, and values.