domestic

1 of 2

adjective

do·​mes·​tic də-ˈme-stik How to pronounce domestic (audio)
1
a
: living near or about human habitations
domestic vermin
b
: tame, domesticated
the domestic cat
2
: of, relating to, or originating within a country and especially one's own country
domestic politics
domestic wines
domestic manufacturing
all debts foreign and domestic
3
: of or relating to the household or the family
domestic chores
domestic happiness
4
: devoted to home duties and pleasures
leading a quietly domestic life
5
: indigenous
a domestic species
domestically adverb

domestic

2 of 2

noun

1
: a servant hired to work for a household
Her grandmother worked as a domestic.
2
: an article (such as a rug or blanket) manufactured within one's own country or for use in a household : an article of domestic (see domestic entry 1 sense 2) manufacture
usually used in plural

Examples of domestic in a Sentence

Adjective The company hopes to attract both foreign and domestic investors. the surest way to maintain domestic peace and harmony is to have everyone pitch in on chores Noun She got in a domestic with her husband. working as a team, the couple hired themselves out as domestics for wealthy homeowners
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Tesla makes cars for domestic consumption from its factory on the outskirts of Shanghai but also exports tens of thousands of vehicles into other parts of Asia and Europe every month. Bloomberg, Fortune Asia, 22 Mar. 2024 Chisholm’s historic congressional victory During her nearly four years in the assembly, Chisholm established a political agenda, advocating for causes such as unemployment insurance for domestic workers and access to higher education for low-income students. Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024 Since 2018, the South has experienced increasing year-to-year net domestic migration and is the most populous region in the U.S. at 130.1 million people. USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024 In an effort to evince a more neutral position that had greater sympathy for the Palestinians, amid domestic pro-Palestinian political uproar, U.S. officials for weeks sought to put forward a resolution that prioritized a cease-fire. Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024 Ringo interpreted that domestic act as a personal affront and a violent intrusion. David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024 But the reasons are mostly tied to domestic politics and have less to do with how Israel’s military is waging war in Gaza. William Booth, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 Farmgirl Flowers offers a unique subscription option that sources flowers from (mostly) domestic flower farms and ships them to your door in biodegradable upcycled burlap coffee sacks. Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2024 Mann cited data from Airlines Reporting Corporation, which tracks ticket sales worldwide, showing that fares on US domestic flights booked in February for travel this year were 5%-6% higher than the same month last year, far outpacing overall inflation. Hanna Ziady, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
Noun
Doubt eventually led to 2011’s The Help, an adaptation of the 2009 Kathryn Stockett best-selling novel ostensibly about African American domestics working for white families in 1960s Mississippi. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024 Art Kane: No one ever heard about it because … no one covers … DUIs and domestics, and that flew under the radar. Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2024 Work in auto plants provided an advancement for Black people who had been disproportionately restricted to such jobs as domestics, chauffeurs, custodians and farm laborers, according to Sugrue's report. Curtis Bunn, NBC News, 23 Sep. 2023 Yet many domestics appear basically indistinguishable from wildcats. Jonathan Losos, Discover Magazine, 10 Aug. 2023 His father was a shipping clerk for Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company and his mother worked as a domestic. Adam Bradley, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023 In his 2020 memoir Let Love Rule, Lenny wrote that Roxie was raised in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, by her father Albert Roker, a Bahamian immigrant, and her mother, who was born in Georgia and worked as a domestic. Charlotte Walsh, Peoplemag, 14 Aug. 2023 Wiley claimed that the detainee in question was kin to one of his domestics. Time, 29 July 2023 Friday's happy hour specials include $3.50 domestics, $3.75 imports, $4.25 small house margaritas, $4.50 large rail drinks, $5 Cazadores Reposado and Patron Silver shots, and $6 Don Julio Blanco shots. Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 4 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'domestic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from Middle French domestique, from Latin domesticus, from domus — see dome entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of domestic was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near domestic

Cite this Entry

“Domestic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domestic. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

domestic

1 of 2 adjective
do·​mes·​tic də-ˈmes-tik How to pronounce domestic (audio)
1
a
: living near or about the places where human beings live
domestic vermin
b
: living with or under the care of human beings : tame
a domestic cat
2
: of, relating to, made in, or done in one's own country
domestic steel
3
: of or relating to a household or family
domestic chores
domestically adverb

domestic

2 of 2 noun
: a household servant
Etymology

Adjective

from early French domestique "living around humans, domestic," from Latin domesticus (same meaning), from domus "house" — related to dome, domicile

Legal Definition

domestic

adjective
do·​mes·​tic də-ˈmes-tik How to pronounce domestic (audio)
1
: of or relating to the household or family
a domestic servant
domestic relations
see also family court
2
: of, relating to, or originating within a country or state and especially one's own country or state
the state has personal jurisdiction over domestic corporations
compare foreign, municipal

More from Merriam-Webster on domestic

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