domestication
Americannoun
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the act or process of taming an animal for human use or companionship.
Shortly after their domestication as companions, dogs were put to use as weapons of war.
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the act or process of adapting a plant to cultivation or converting it to household use.
The domestication of modern wheat from wild grasses occurred in the Fertile Crescent and fueled the development of Indo-European culture.
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the act or process of making someone accustomed to household life or affairs.
When my friend and former business partner not only got married but became pregnant, I saw it as yet another step in her domestication.
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the act or process of making a strange or challenging person or thing more familiar and acceptable.
The author resists domestication of Nietzsche's philosophy, restoring the shock of his style and thought and interpreting him as a revolutionary philosopher.
Etymology
Origin of domestication
First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin domesticāt-, stem of domesticāre “to dwell in a house” ( see domesticate ( def. )) + -ion ( def. )
Explanation
When you tame an animal and train it to be a pet or work on a farm, that's domestication. The domestication of dogs began thousands of years ago, which is probably why they're such great companions today. After the successful domestication of dogs, humans went on to domesticate many other animals, from horses and donkeys to cows and chickens. The term also applies to the process of breeding and growing plants for specific uses, mainly as food sources. Domestication comes from the Medieval Latin domesticare, which means "to tame" and "to dwell in a house." Despite the domestication of your donkey, she still probably shouldn't live in your house.
Vocabulary lists containing domestication
Content Summary G.4: Human Adaptations to the Physical Environment
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The Omnivore's Dilemma
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The Stone Age - Middle School and High School
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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.
"With dogs, the story is totally different. They followed a very different evolutionary path, but through domestication, they developed the social abilities needed to understand and cooperate with us."
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
The hunters in Iran’s Zagros mountains who protected and managed wild ibexes, for example, had no idea that their actions would lead to the domestication of the goat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
Humans are incredibly efficient at plant and animal domestication, the process of selecting and curating prosocial hereditary traits for our own benefit.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026
They examined vocalizations from both domestic and wild cats and found that domestication has especially increased how much a cat's meow can vary.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 11, 2026
Many species changed in size: cows, pigs, and sheep became smaller under domestication, while guinea pigs became larger.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
