domestic

adjective

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do·mes·tic | \ də-ˈme-stik

Definition of domestic

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : living near or about human habitations domestic vermin

b : tame, domesticated the domestic cat

2 : of, relating to, or originating within a country and especially one's own country domestic politics domestic wines domestic manufacturing all debts foreign and domestic

3 : of or relating to the household or the family domestic chores domestic happiness

4 : devoted to home duties and pleasures leading a quietly domestic life

5 : indigenous a domestic species

domestic

noun

Definition of domestic (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a servant hired to work for a household Her grandmother worked as a domestic.

2 : an article (such as a rug or blanket) manufactured within one's own country or for use in a household : an article of domestic (see domestic entry 1 sense 2) manufacture —usually used in plural

Other Words from domestic Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about domestic

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Synonyms & Antonyms for domestic

Synonyms: Adjective

familial,
household

Synonyms: Noun

Antonyms: Adjective

Antonyms: Noun

master,
mistress

Examples of domestic in a Sentence

Adjective The company hopes to attract both foreign and domestic investors. the surest way to maintain domestic peace and harmony is to have everyone pitch in on chores Noun She got in a domestic with her husband. working as a team, the man and his wife hired themselves out as domestics for wealthy homeowners

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective These thorny issues include deciding the fate of Boston police commissioner Dennis White, who is on leave amid an investigation into a 1999 domestic abuse allegation, and the re-opening of the city’s school district during the on-going pandemic. — BostonGlobe.com, "Will Acting Mayor Janey run for a full term?," 2 Apr. 2021 Click here for a more detailed breakdown of the different types of domestic abuse. — Charli Penn, Essence, "The Internet Is Outraged By A Video Showing Saweetie and Quavo In A Physical Altercation," 30 Mar. 2021 Sometimes, even evidence of suffering and domestic abuse does not guarantee a divorce will be granted. — NBC News, "Frustration among women in China as new divorce law stalls process," 27 Mar. 2021 At the time, as third-party voices note, such frank discussion of domestic abuse was unusual, and Turner's efforts to put her marital split behind her by speaking out -- and later writing a book -- didn't really work. — Brian Lowry, CNN, "'Tina' tells Tina Turner's story, with a tribute that keeps on turning," 26 Mar. 2021 He is charged with domestic abuse and taking a hostage, regarding the woman, and with failing to comply when officers were trying to arrest him. — Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Man's shooting during standoff endangered children, hostage and police, complaint says," 26 Mar. 2021 Devin Patrick Kelley’s history of domestic abuse barred him from buying guns. — Michael R. Sisak, Chron, "Mass shooters exploited gun laws, loopholes before carnage," 25 Mar. 2021 In 2019, Clowney co-sponsored legislation that would have enabled tenants who had recently suffered from domestic abuse to break leases without financial penalties. — Maya Miller, ProPublica, "There’s Only One State Where Falling Behind on Rent Could Mean Jail Time. That Could Change.," 19 Mar. 2021 His groundbreaking work on coercive control has had a major impact on approaches to domestic abuse around the world. — Patricia Fersch, Forbes, "Domestic Violence: Coercion And Control Equates To A Loss Of Liberty, Sense Of Self, And Dignity For Women," 19 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The Millennial tendency to dabble in the domestic is now, essentially, many people’s full-time job. — Angela Lashbrook, refinery29.com, "How The Pandemic Made Us Obsessed With Our Homes," 12 Jan. 2021 Her mother was a domestic who was home only one day a week; her stepfather was a longshoreman. — Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, "The Plague Year," 28 Dec. 2020 One of nine children, he was raised by his mother, Era, who supported the family by working as a domestic. — New York Times, "Dick Allen, 78, Dies; Baseball Slugger Withstood Bigotry," 7 Dec. 2020 The rub was that Gamgort saw no way his domestic can suppliers could possibly make enough of them. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, "Keurig is a machine: How the beverage giant is leveraging A.I. to fuel growth," 19 Oct. 2020 In 1936 Fred married twenty-three-year-old Mary Anne MacLeod, recently arrived from Scotland as a domestic. — Anne Diebel, The New York Review of Books, "Trumps on the Couch," 8 Sep. 2020 The growth of its domestic over the top business is robust. — Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, "Lionsgate Swings to Quarterly Profit Amid Pandemic," 6 Aug. 2020 Her father was an oil field worker, her mother a domestic. — Richard Sandomir, BostonGlobe.com, "Ola Mae Spinks, who helped preserve a slave archive, dies at 106," 10 July 2020 Wild cats kill more animals than do domestics, but pet cats kill many more animals as do similarly-sized wild predators in a small area. — Jason G. Goldman, Scientific American, "New Data on Killer House Cats," 29 Apr. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'domestic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

5 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Domestic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domestic. Accessed 10 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for domestic

domestic

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of domestic

(Entry 1 of 2)

: of, relating to, or made in your own country

: relating to or involving someone's home or family

: relating to the work (such as cooking and cleaning) that is done in a person's home

domestic

noun

English Language Learners Definition of domestic (Entry 2 of 2)

old-fashioned : a servant who is hired to work in someone's home : a domestic servant

British, informal : a fight between members of a family or household

See the full definition for domestic in the English Language Learners Dictionary

domestic

adjective

do·mes·tic | \ də-ˈme-stik

Kids Definition of domestic

1 : relating to a household or a family domestic life

2 : relating to, made in, or done in a person's own country The president spoke about both foreign and domestic issues.

3 : living with or under the care of human beings : tame domestic animals

domestic

adjective

do·mes·tic | \ də-ˈmes-tik

Legal Definition of domestic

1 : of or relating to the household or family a domestic servant domestic relations — see also family court

2 : of, relating to, or originating within a country or state and especially one's own country or state the state has personal jurisdiction over domestic corporations — compare foreign, municipal

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