Dictionary

domino effect en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

An allusion to a row of dominoes in which the fall of one leads to a cascade of falling pieces.

Meanings

1. The situation in which one event sets off a chain of additional events.
   • While the move has, for now, calmed fears of a repeat of a 2008-style domino effect, the merger has left Switzerland with a new megabank on Paradeplatz square. 2023 March 22, Philip Oltermann, “Switzerland’s national pride dealt heavy blow by the merger of its banking titans”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 31 Mar 2023:
2. (historical) The theory that, if South Vietnam became communist, it would be followed by Cambodia, Laos, and additional countries in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Forms

Relateds

butterfly effect · ripple effect · snowball effect · demonstration effect · slippery slope

Synonyms

domino theory

Translations (47)

ru принцип домино (chain of events) · he אפקט הדומינו (chain of events) · ko 도미노 효과 (chain of events) · nl domino-effect (chain of events) · cs dominový efekt (chain of events) · vi hiệu ứng domino (chain of events) · cmn 多米諾效應 /多米诺效应 (chain of events) · da dominoeffekt (chain of events) · ka დომინოს თეორია (theory of encroaching communism) · pl efekt domina (theory of encroaching communism) · az domino effekti (chain of events) · fi dominoteoria (theory of encroaching communism) · ms kesan domino (chain of events) · uk принцип доміно (chain of events) · eu domino-efektu (chain of events) · cmn 骨牌效應 /骨牌效应 (chain of events) · es efecto dominó (chain of events) · fi dominoefekti (chain of events) · cs domino efekt (chain of events) · et doominoefekt (chain of events) · pl efekt domina (chain of events) · gl efecto dominó (chain of events) · ca efecte dòmino (chain of events) · tr domino etkisi (chain of events) · ru эффе́кт домино́ (chain of events) · id efek domino (chain of events) · uz domino effekti (chain of events) · ja ドミノ効果 (chain of events) · es teoría del dominó (theory of encroaching communism) · pt efeito dominó (chain of events) · ka დომინოს პრინციპი (chain of events) · ar تأثير الدومينو (chain of events) · cmn 多米諾骨牌效應 /多米诺骨牌效应 (chain of events) · tr domino kuramı (theory of encroaching communism) · hu dominóhatás (chain of events) · no dominoeffekt (chain of events) · fr effet domino (chain of events) · ka დომინოს ეფექტი (chain of events) · de Dominoeffekt (theory of encroaching communism) · de Dominoeffekt (chain of events) · sv dominoeffekt (chain of events) · bn ডমিনো ইফেক্ট (chain of events) · it effetto domino (chain of events) · hy դոմինոյի սկզբունք (chain of events) · ro efect domino (chain of events) · el φαινόμενο ντόμινο (chain of events) · el φαινόμενο ντόμινο (theory of encroaching communism)