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

Etymology

Origin of domestic

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

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

American policymakers should concentrate their efforts on accelerating the domestic AI industry and eliminating bottlenecks that would slow down AI-bred innovations such as new drugs, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

I'm convinced that we will start the domestic campaign with a defeat if we continue to play in this manner.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

“Naturally, investors are panicking that we’re about to see cheap domestic supply flood a market that’s been overheating for months,” Nic Puckrin, founder of Coin Bureau and a cross-asset analyst, said in emailed comments.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

"China's domestic lithography advances bypass Western supply chains entirely, hitting equipment makers hardest," Angela Harmantas at Proactive Investors wrote.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

One of the most remarkable features in our domestic cated races is that we see in them adaptation, not indeed to the animal's or plant's own good, but to man's use or fancy.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

In December 1927, it cautioned young women "to become a good cook before you marry, darling. Then you will be competent to rebuke a staff of domestics or to dispense with one".

From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2025

TJ: My mother was the oldest of my grandmother’s nine children, so she was the one who went to work with my great-aunts when they were domestics.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2023

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

Elaine and the domestics sat in these galleries to watch, and the two knights fought beneath them for a long time.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Related Words

• indigenous
• internal
• national