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
Calling this painting a masterpiece would be like putting a leash on a wolf, though by now de Kooning’s domestication is probably a foregone conclusion.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 13 June 2024
In a study published last week in the journal Nature, archaeologists used DNA analysis to trace horse domestication to roughly 2200 B.C.E.—about 1,000 years later than previously thought.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 June 2024
In other parts of the world, thousands of years had passed between the onset of crop domestication and the emergence of states.
—Walter Scheidel, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
But are puppy-dog eyes solely the result of domestication?
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for domestication 
Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 13 June 2024
In a study published last week in the journal Nature, archaeologists used DNA analysis to trace horse domestication to roughly 2200 B.C.E.—about 1,000 years later than previously thought.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 June 2024
In other parts of the world, thousands of years had passed between the onset of crop domestication and the emergence of states.
—Walter Scheidel, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
But are puppy-dog eyes solely the result of domestication?
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for domestication
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'domestication.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near domestication
Cite this Entry
“Domestication.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domestication. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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