domestic
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the home, the household, household affairs, or the family.
domestic pleasures.
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devoted to home life or household affairs.
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no longer wild; domesticated; tame.
domestic animals.
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of or relating to one's own or a particular country as apart from other countries.
domestic trade.
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indigenous to or produced or made within one's own country; not foreign; native.
domestic goods.
noun
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a hired household servant.
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something produced or manufactured in one's own country.
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domestics, household items made of cloth, as sheets, towels, and tablecloths.
adjective
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of or involving the home or family
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enjoying or accustomed to home or family life
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(of an animal) bred or kept by man as a pet or for purposes such as the supply of food
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of, produced in, or involving one's own country or a specific country
domestic and foreign affairs
noun
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a household servant
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informal (esp in police use) an incident of violence in the home, esp between a man and a woman
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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antidomesticadjective
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nondomesticadjective
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predomesticadjective
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semidomesticadjective
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undomesticadjective
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antidomesticallyadverb
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domesticallyadverb
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nondomesticallyadverb
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predomesticallyadverb
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semidomesticallyadverb
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undomesticallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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."
Vocabulary lists containing domestic
List 1
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Preamble to the U.S. Constitution (1787)
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"On Women's Right to Vote" by Susan B. Anthony
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Samsung fell more than 12 percent, while its main domestic rival SK hynix tumbled nearly 20 percent after 14 percent losses the day before -- halving its value from record highs last month.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
More people drove electric vehicles instead of gasoline cars or took high-speed electric trains instead of domestic flights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The inflation rate is likely to go up in July, as millions of households in Scotland, England and Wales feel the impact of a 13% rise in domestic energy prices.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Regardless, it is still just two games into the season for a new-look team who will be expecting to compete for domestic honours and still have a chance at Europa League or Conference League football.
From BBC ● 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
TJ: Well, working as domestics, my grandmother and her sisters owned their houses once they got to Los Angeles.
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
"It's family, everyone who's here, domestics, carers, caterers, everybody, it's in here," she says, patting her heart.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2019
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
