domicile
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
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a dwelling place
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a permanent legal residence
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commerce the place where a bill of exchange is to be paid
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of domicile
First recorded in 1470–80; from Middle French, from Latin domicilium, equivalent to domicol(a) ( domi-, combining form of domus “house” + -cola “dweller”; see colonus) + -ium -ium
Explanation
Domicile is a fancy word for the place where you live. Whether it's a mansion on 5th Avenue or a one-room shack in the desert, if you live in it, it's your domicile. If you live somewhere — such as in a house, on a houseboat, or in an apartment — then you have a domicile, or simply, housing. In the eyes of the law, your domicile is your legal place of residence. You can turn domicile into a verb, and say that you are currently domiciled in the Caribbean — but you'd probably only use that terminology if you were on trial for something like tax evasion.
Vocabulary lists containing domicile
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Oliver Twist
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 2018, it changed its name to Quantum Computing and moved its domicile from North Carolina to Delaware.
From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026
Companies like Spotify, Cloudflare, and Enterprise Products are excluded from the S&P 500 due to domicile, profitability, or corporate structure.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
All of this makes us wonder if corporate residence and legal domicile could, and perhaps should, become an issue in corporate governance.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
He explained that domicile is determined by a person’s primary residence and their intent to return to that residence.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
With an indignant squawk, Rose led the way into their new domicile, tempted by a trail of grain.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
