霸主 originally referred to the
春秋五霸 (Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period, 770–476 BCE), princes like Duke Huan of Qi (
齐桓公) and Duke Wen of Jin (
晋文公) who held de facto power while the Zhou king (
周王) reigned only nominally. Today it extends to any dominant industrial, sporting, or geopolitical power.