domicile

American  

[dom-uh-sahyl, -suhl, doh-muh-] / ˈdɒm əˌsaɪl, -səl, ˈdoʊ mə- /

Or domicil

noun

1. a place of residence; house or home; abode.

2. Law. a permanent legal residence.

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verb (used with object)

domiciled, domiciling

1. to establish in a domicile.

domicile British  

/ ˈdɒmɪˌsaɪl, ˈdɒmɪˌsɪl /

noun

1. a dwelling place

2. a permanent legal residence

3. commerce the place where a bill of exchange is to be paid

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verb

1. to establish or be established in a dwelling place

Other Word Forms

• undomiciled
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of domicile

First recorded in 1470–80; from Middle French, from Latin domicilium, equivalent to domicol(a) ( domi-, combining form of domus “house” + -cola “dweller”; see colonus) + -ium -ium

Explanation

Domicile is a fancy word for the place where you live. Whether it's a mansion on 5th Avenue or a one-room shack in the desert, if you live in it, it's your domicile. If you live somewhere — such as in a house, on a houseboat, or in an apartment — then you have a domicile, or simply, housing. In the eyes of the law, your domicile is your legal place of residence. You can turn domicile into a verb, and say that you are currently domiciled in the Caribbean — but you'd probably only use that terminology if you were on trial for something like tax evasion.

Example Sentences

It said alongside earnings on March 19 that the board was reviewing options to boost shareholder value, including acquisitions, its domicile, and listing venues.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

Instead, he explicitly concluded that though Julia’s parents lacked any permanent domicile or “expectation of remaining” in the country, these facts did not prevent her from acquiring American citizenship by birth.

From Slate • Mar. 18, 2026

The company changed its name to Quantum Computing and domicile to Delaware from North Carolina in 2018.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

However, it also specified that, in order to safeguard the "image and reputation" of both the former king and the monarchy, "Juan Carlos should have his tax domicile in Spain".

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

From the humble beginnings of the storefront on Hart Street, to the respectable but by no means splashy domicile off Beniteau, Assumption was finally going to get a grand church building.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides