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
But the domestication process would take generations and require humans to tolerate this behavior.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 14 June 2025
According to Wang, this can be problematic since that reduction in body size likely occurred later in the domestication process.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 June 2025
Part of the reason that cats often hunt and dogs don’t is that while the animals are both commonly domesticated pets, their purpose for domestication was much different.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 26 May 2025
Just like the aging of a fine wine, the domestication of grapevines throughout Italy was a pretty slow process.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for domestication
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Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 14 June 2025
According to Wang, this can be problematic since that reduction in body size likely occurred later in the domestication process.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 June 2025
Part of the reason that cats often hunt and dogs don’t is that while the animals are both commonly domesticated pets, their purpose for domestication was much different.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 26 May 2025
Just like the aging of a fine wine, the domestication of grapevines throughout Italy was a pretty slow process.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Apr. 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 19 Jul. 2025.
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