domiciliary

adjective

do·​mi·​cil·​i·​ary ˌdä-mə-ˈsi-lē-ˌer-ē How to pronounce domiciliary (audio)
ˌdō-
: of, relating to, or constituting a domicile: such as
a
: provided or taking place in the home
b
: providing care and living space (as for disabled veterans)

Did you know?

Domiciliary can be traced back through French domiciliaire and Medieval Latin domiciliarius to the earlier Latin word domicilium ("domicile"). "Domicilium" comes from the Latin domus ("home"), which is at the heart of a number of other English words, including "domestic" and "domicile." It is even the source of the English word dome. In Medieval Latin, "domus" came to mean "church," and was borrowed by French for the word dôme ("dome" or "cathedral") and by Italian for duomo ("cathedral"). In the 1500s, English drew on these words for "dome," a word which originally referred not to a vaulted roof or ceiling but to a mansion or a stately building.

Examples of domiciliary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Although there are many factors behind these flow problems, inadequate social care provision — i.e. care home beds and domiciliary care — is considered a key driver. Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2022 Philadelphia’s Reentry Coalition directed Myers to Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, which found Ligon a place in domiciliary care, a foster-care-like accommodation with a family in Philadelphia. al, 12 Feb. 2021 The report was triggered after the inspector general was notified of problems at the Zablocki domiciliary facility by Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Bill Glauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 27 July 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'domiciliary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1790, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of domiciliary was in 1790

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Dictionary Entries Near domiciliary

Cite this Entry

“Domiciliary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domiciliary. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

domiciliary

adjective
do·​mi·​cil·​i·​ary ˌdäm-ə-ˈsil-ē-ˌer-ē How to pronounce domiciliary (audio) ˌdō-mə- How to pronounce domiciliary (audio)
1
: provided or attended in the home rather than in an institution
domiciliary midwifery
2
: providing, constituting, or provided by an institution for chronically ill or permanently disabled persons requiring minimal medical attention
domiciliary care

Legal Definition

domiciliary

1 of 2 adjective
dom·​i·​cil·​i·​ary ˌdä-mə-ˈsi-lē-ˌer-ē, ˌdō- How to pronounce domiciliary (audio)
: of, relating to, or constituting a domicile
domiciliary jurisdiction

domiciliary

2 of 2 noun
plural domiciliaries
: a person who is domiciled in a particular jurisdiction (as a country)
a French domiciliary
compare resident
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