domestic

American  

[duh-mes-tik] / dəˈmɛs tɪk /

adjective

1. 

   of or relating to the home, the household, household affairs, or the family.

   domestic pleasures.

2. devoted to home life or household affairs.

3. no longer wild; domesticated; tame.

   domestic animals.

4. of or relating to one's own or a particular country as apart from other countries.

   domestic trade.

5. indigenous to or produced or made within one's own country; not foreign; native.

   domestic goods.

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noun

• domestics
  plural

1. a hired household servant.

2. something produced or manufactured in one's own country.

3. domestics, household items made of cloth, as sheets, towels, and tablecloths.

domestic British  

/ dəˈmɛstɪk /

adjective

1. of or involving the home or family

2. enjoying or accustomed to home or family life

3. (of an animal) bred or kept by man as a pet or for purposes such as the supply of food

4. of, produced in, or involving one's own country or a specific country

   domestic and foreign affairs

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noun

1. a household servant

2. informal (esp in police use) an incident of violence in the home, esp between a man and a woman

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antidomestic
  adjective
• nondomestic
  adjective
• predomestic
  adjective
• semidomestic
  adjective
• undomestic
  adjective
• antidomestically
  adverb
• domestically
  adverb
• nondomestically
  adverb
• predomestically
  adverb
• semidomestically
  adverb
• undomestically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• domestics
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of domestic

First recorded in 1515–25; from Latin domesticus, derivative of domus “house” ( see dome); replacing domestique, from Middle French

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Explanation

Domestic generally means relating to someone's family, home, or home country. Domestic work is work done in the home — a domestic is someone who works in a home, such as a nanny or a maid. Domestic is also used to refer to products that are produced in your country, or policies and affairs that relate to your country. And domestic animals, such as cats and dogs, are used to living with people. Domestic derives from Middle English, from Old French domestique, from Latin domesticus, from domus, "house."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

domestic domestics

The police force has denied claims that it "covered up" the crimes, but vowed to improve the way it protects women from police-perpetrated domestic abuse.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Higher fuel prices and a severe El Nino could add to domestic inflation pressures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

"ASEAN is very, very careful when it comes to what they call domestic sovereignty. So they are unlikely to do anything," he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Analysts generally concur that lack of domestic demand is the biggest reason.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

I hadn’t broken through on the domestic circuit yet, so my national ranking was barely worth mentioning.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

As a result, these consumers flocked to imports like Corona and Heineken, as well as domestics like Budweiser, and, yes, Bud Light.

From Slate ● Apr. 7, 2023

He expects us to get preoccupied with inflation and other domestics issues.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 21, 2022

A Black American cast as a master of 23rd Century intergalactic technology, her role defied the typical portrayal of Black women as domestics or entertainers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2022

Since we domestics are all companion animals, we educate each other, bringing our worlds to intersect and interact.

From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2021

But a handful of families would let their domestics keep their children with them, living in little maids’ quarters or flatlets in the backyard.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

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Related Words

• indigenous
• internal
• national

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