Word
domestication
Phoneticsdo·mes·ti·ca·tion, stress on the fourth syllable
US/dəˌmɛstəˈkeɪʃən/
UK/dəmˌɛstɪkˈeɪʃən/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. the process of training wild animals to live with humans and be useful to them. It can also mean making something more common or less wild in nature.
n. the process of taming and adapting wild animals for a human environment, or the act of making something more familiar and less exotic. Often used in biological or sociological contexts to describe the transition from a wild to a domestic state.
Examples
“The domestication of horses changed how people traveled.”
“Archaeologists study the domestication of plants to understand how early societies developed stable food supplies.”
“The domestication of the grey wolf into the modern dog represents one of the most significant symbiotic relationships in human history, fundamentally altering both our social structures and our genetic landscapes.”
Examples
simple
“The domestication of horses changed how people traveled.”
contextual
“Archaeologists study the domestication of plants to understand how early societies developed stable food supplies.”
complex
“The domestication of the grey wolf into the modern dog represents one of the most significant symbiotic relationships in human history, fundamentally altering both our social structures and our genetic landscapes.”
Real-World Examples
“They followed a very different evolutionary path, yet through domestication, they developed the social abilities needed to understand and cooperate with us.” “Evidence indicates the wolves were fed, possibly cared for, and may even have been managed or selectively bred long before modern ideas of domestication.” Etymology
From domesticate + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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