dŏmĭnātus, ūs (dat. dominatu, Caes. ap. Gell. 4, 16, 8), m. [dominor], rule, command; esp. absolute rule, sovereignty, mastery, tyranny (good prose; most frequent in Cicero; for syn. v. dominatio).
I Prop., Cic. Rep. 1, 27 (opp. libertas; cf. opp. servitus, id. Deiot. 11, 30); id. Tusc. 5, 20; id. Phil. 11, 14, 36; id. de Or. 2, 55, 225; id. Div. 1, 25, 53; id. Off. 2, 1, 2; Caes. B. C. 1, 4 fin. —In plur., Cic. Rep. 1, 39; Prud. Ham. 517.—
II Transf.: animi, Cic. Rep. 1, 38; cf. consilii, id. ib.: cupiditatum, id. Par. 5, 3, 40: omnium rerum (with principatus and potestas), id. N. D. 2, 11; cf. id. Rep. 1, 17: omnis terrenorum commodorum est in homine, id. N. D. 2, 60 fin.