domain

[ doh-meyn ]

noun

1. a field of action, thought, influence, etc.:

   the domain of science.

2. the territory governed by a single ruler or government; realm.
3. a realm or range of personal knowledge, responsibility, etc.
4. a region characterized by a specific feature, type of growth or wildlife, etc.:

   We entered the domain of the pine trees.

5. Law. land to which there is superior title and absolute ownership.
6. Biology. a taxonomic category of the highest rank, just above kingdom, grouping together all forms of life having certain fundamental characteristics in common: in the three-domain system of classification adopted by many biologists, separate domains are assigned to the archaea (Archaea), bacteria (Bacteria), and eukaryotes (Eukaryota).
7. Mathematics.
   1. the set of values assigned to the independent variables of a function.
   2. region ( def 11a ).
8. Computers.
   1. a group of computers and devices on a network that are administered under the same protocol.
   2. (on the internet) one or more computers or computer networks under the same administrative control, identified by a domain name or any of its discrete parts.
   3. top-level domain.
9. Physics. one of many regions of magnetic polarity within a ferromagnetic body, each consisting of a number of atoms having a common polarity, and collectively determining the magnetic properties of the body by their arrangement.
10. Crystallography. a connected region with uniform polarization in a twinned ferroelectric crystal.

domain

/ dəˈmeɪn /

noun

1. land governed by a ruler or government
2. land owned by one person or family
3. a field or scope of knowledge or activity
4. a region having specific characteristics or containing certain types of plants or animals
5. a park or recreation reserve maintained by a public authority, often the government
6. law the absolute ownership and right to dispose of land See also demesne eminent domain
7. maths
   1. the set of values of the independent variable of a function for which the functional value exists Compare range

      the domain of sin x is all real numbers

   2. any open set containing at least one point
8. logic another term for universe of discourse

   domain of quantification

9. philosophy range of significance (esp in the phrase domain of definition )
10. Also calledmagnetic domain physics one of the regions in a ferromagnetic solid in which all the atoms have their magnetic moments aligned in the same direction
11. computing a group of computers, functioning and administered as a unit, that are identified by sharing the same domain name on the internet
12. Also calledsuperkingdom biology the highest level of classification of living organisms. Three domains are recognized: Archaea (see archaean ), Bacteria (see bacteria ), and Eukarya (see eukaryote )
13. biochem a structurally compact portion of a protein molecule

domain

/ dō-mān′ /

1. Mathematics.
   The set of all values that an independent variable of a function can have. In the function y = 2 x , the set of values that x (the independent variable) can have is the domain.
2. Mathematics.
   Compare range
3. Computer Science.
   A group of networked computers that share a common communications address.
4. Biology.
   A division of organisms that ranks above a kingdom in systems of classification that are based on shared similarities in DNA sequences rather than shared structural similarities. In these systems, there are three domains: the archaea, the bacteria, and the eukaryotes.
5. Physics.
   A region in a ferromagnetic substance in which the substance is magnetized with the same polarization throughout.

Other Words From

• do·ma·ni·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of domain¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; from French domaine, alteration (by association with Latin dominium “right of ownership, property”) of Old French demeine, from Late Latin dominicum, noun use of neuter of Latin dominicus “of a master,” equivalent to domin(us) “lord, master” + -icus; dominium, -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of domain¹

C17: from French domaine, from Latin dominium property, from dominus lord

Example Sentences

"This invites us to take a more holistic view, accommodating both human and natural components of complex systems that extend across environmental, social and economic domains."

From Science Daily

Instead, it said it will continue to look into paid services, such as having people pay for custom domains in their username.

From BBC

Macron has been described as pursuing a zigzag in his approach to the Middle East, as in many other domains, flipflopping inconsistently between outspoken statements of support for Israel and then its Arab neighbours.

From BBC

On election day, the FBI said it was aware of fake bomb threats made to polling locations in several states, noting that many of them appeared to originate from Russian email domains.

From Los Angeles Times

Frederick Douglass depicted his plantation in Maryland as resembling “what the baronial domains were during the Middle Ages in Europe.”

From Salon

Related Words

• realm
• sphere
• territory