What does "domesticate" mean?
An animal or plant that has been domesticated.
Domesticate
/dəˈmɛ.stɪ.keɪt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An animal or plant that has been domesticated.
- Grammar: domesticate is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: cultivate, tame, acclimate, acclimatize.
- Useful contrasts: most animal feature, feralize, foreignize.
- Usage evidence: We didn't domesticate cats; cats domesticated us.
How to use "domesticate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "domesticate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "domesticate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "domesticate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "domesticate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "domesticate" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cultivate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "domesticate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An animal or plant that has been domesticated.
Verb
- 1 To make domestic. transitive
- 2 make fit for cultivation, domestic life, and service to humans wordnet
- 3 To make (more) fit for domestic life. transitive
""To answer your question, Tai's fine. She mostly just smokes socially these days." "You're domesticating her!" "We're domesticating each other. The other day I found myself reading a home decorating blog.""
- 4 overcome the wildness of; make docile and tractable wordnet
- 5 To adapt to live with humans. transitive
"The Russians claim to have successfully domesticated foxes."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 adapt (a wild plant or unclaimed land) to the environment wordnet
- 7 To adapt to live with humans. intransitive
"Dogs have clearly domesticated more than cats."
- 8 To make a legal instrument recognized and enforceable in a jurisdiction foreign to the one in which the instrument was originally issued or created. transitive
- 9 To amend the elements of a text to fit local culture. transitive
Antonyms
Example
"We didn't domesticate cats; cats domesticated us."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "domesticate"?
Common synonyms include: cultivate, tame, acclimate, acclimatize, accommodate, accustom.
How do you use "domesticate" in a sentence?
We didn't domesticate cats; cats domesticated us.
How do you pronounce "domesticate"?
Pronounced /dəˈmɛ.stɪ.keɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
First attested in 1620; either borrowed from Middle French domestiquer (Modern French domestiquer) or directly from Medieval Latin domesticātus, perfect passive participle of domesticō (“to domesticate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). By surface analysis, domestic + -ate.
Etymology 2
First attested in 1860; borrowed from Medieval Latin domesticātus (“domesticated”), see Etymology 1 and -ate (noun-forming suffix).