domestication
noun
do·mes·ti·ca·tion
də-ˌme-sti-ˈkā-shən 
: the act or process of domesticating something or someone or the state of being domesticated: such as
a
: the adaptation of a plant or animal from a wild or natural state (as by selective breeding) to life in close association with humans
Wild and feral dogs are hunters, but domestication and differential breeding have modified breed and individual predatory motivation.—
Julia Albright
Julia AlbrightHorse domestication revolutionized transport, communications, and warfare in prehistory, yet the identification of early domestication processes has been problematic.—Alan K. Outram et al.
Alan K. Outram et al.
b
: the process of adapting someone or the state of being adapted to domestic life
But my father-in-law was also the very soul of domestication and familial responsibility, a man of regular habits who tied up his garbage with the spare lengths of string he collected in a Maxwell House coffee can …—Garret Keizer
Garret Keizer
c
: the adaptation of something to meet the expectations or tastes of ordinary people
When you think about it, the whole buzzy excitement surrounding The Aristocrats, with its torrents of obscenity, points to another new phenomenon this summer: the domestication of raunch.—Gregory Kirschling
Gregory KirschlingExamples of domestication in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Feeding on resources from human environments would have also benefited the leopard cats, potentially initiating the process of domestication.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
The finding, similarly to the results of the analysis done in China, suggests that cat domestication unfolded much more slowly than scientists had thought.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Nov. 2025
Scientists have long wondered when the domestication of dogs first started.
—NPR, 26 Nov. 2025
However, without the power of time travel, Lesch will never know whether this is in fact the start of a domestication process for these resourceful critters.
—Amanda Schupak, CNN Money, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for domestication
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Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
The finding, similarly to the results of the analysis done in China, suggests that cat domestication unfolded much more slowly than scientists had thought.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Nov. 2025
Scientists have long wondered when the domestication of dogs first started.
—NPR, 26 Nov. 2025
However, without the power of time travel, Lesch will never know whether this is in fact the start of a domestication process for these resourceful critters.
—Amanda Schupak, CNN Money, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for domestication
Cite this Entry
“Domestication.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domestication. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
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