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
The viewer accompanies these decisions, often linked to not losing parts of her wildest essence, which domestication seems to threaten.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 16 Oct. 2024
Humans have been manipulating the genetics of crops for more than ten thousand years through domestication.
—Jamie F. Metzl, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2014
Thousands of years of domestication couldn’t prepare dogs for this abrupt transition.
—Brian Hare, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2024
In this age of modern domestication, why are the largest dog breeds up to 40 times bigger than the smallest?
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 10 Oct. 2024
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Holly Jones, Variety, 16 Oct. 2024
Humans have been manipulating the genetics of crops for more than ten thousand years through domestication.
—Jamie F. Metzl, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2014
Thousands of years of domestication couldn’t prepare dogs for this abrupt transition.
—Brian Hare, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2024
In this age of modern domestication, why are the largest dog breeds up to 40 times bigger than the smallest?
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 10 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for domestication
Dictionary Entries Near domestication
Cite this Entry
“Domestication.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domestication. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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