domicile

1 of 2

noun

do·​mi·​cile ˈdä-mə-ˌsī(-ə)l How to pronounce domicile (audio) ˈdō- How to pronounce domicile (audio)
ˈdä-mə-sil
variants or less commonly domicil
1
: a dwelling place : place of residence : home
2
law
a
: a person's fixed, permanent, and principal home for legal purposes
Report your change of domicile.
b
business : residence sense 2b

domicile

2 of 2

verb

domiciled; domiciling

transitive verb

law
: to establish in or provide with a domicile
the state where the decedent was domiciled

Did you know?

Domicile Has Latin Roots

Domicile traces to Latin domus, meaning "home," and English speakers have been using it as a word for "home" since at least the 15th century. In the eyes of the law, a domicile can also be a legal residence, the address from which one registers to vote, licenses a car, and pays income tax. Wealthy people may have several homes in which they live at different times of the year, but only one of their homes can be their official domicile for all legal purposes.

Examples of domicile in a Sentence

Noun You will need to report your change of domicile to your insurance company. Students must establish a domicile in the state to be eligible for reduced tuition. Verb the university domiciles students in a variety of buildings in and around its urban campus
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This contrasting view underscores the necessity of weighing the comprehensive landscape when choosing a domicile. Francois Botha, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 Plans are already underway to construct three of these small domiciles in Fayetteville by this fall. Ryan Anderson, arkansasonline.com, 11 Feb. 2024 As the largest fund domicile in Europe and a worldwide leader in cross-border distribution of funds, Luxembourg has established itself as a major center for investment funds and asset management companies. Judith Magyar, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 Libra September 23-October 22 Your domicile may require a bit of extra TLC starting today. Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2023 Advertisement Medical care procured outside a patient’s home state increasingly leaves a digital trail that will easily make its way back to the patient’s domicile. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2024 Each elegant domicile includes a private terrace with breathtaking views of the Aegean and neighboring islands. Jordan Riefe, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Nov. 2023 Peerless views of that azure blue in what must be a contender for world’s most incredible domicile, cost between $13,000 and $30,000 a night. Tom Weijand, Robb Report, 9 Nov. 2023 Nearly every destination and domicile in the town is accessible via a class of vehicle most Americans regard as a toy. Christopher Mims, WSJ, 21 Oct. 2023
Verb
About 68% of Fortune 500 companies are domiciled in the First State, and 79% of IPOs in 2022 were registered there. Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2024 Both of these new captives were domiciled and licensed in St. Kitts, a traditional Caribbean offshore jurisdiction where regulatory oversight could most charitably be described as flimsy. Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 Many high-tech Chinese firms, recognizing the desirability of this business environment, established Hong Kong domiciles. Yasheng Huang, Foreign Affairs, 25 Sep. 2023 Unilever, which was founded in 1929, even consolidated its two headquarters in Rotterdam and London in favor of being domiciled in the British capital city. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2023 And companies domiciled in Dubai and Hong Kong, for instance—some of them formed over the last year—have begun trading the Rosneft and Gazprom hauls abandoned by the likes of Shell and Exxon. Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 22 Feb. 2023 By having more funds domiciled in Singapore, the government hopes to not only attract more cash, but also jobs in the legal and accounting sectors. Bloomberg.com, 8 May 2020 The current crisis might instead prompt us to ask whether companies domiciled in tax havens have any right to come crying to governments for a handout. Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 1 May 2020 That wasn’t the case five years ago when AbbVie sought to reduce its tax bill by merging with Shire, which was domiciled in Ireland where the corporate rate is 12.5% and intellectual property is taxed at 6.25%. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 25 June 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'domicile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin domicilium, from domus — see dome entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1809, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of domicile was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near domicile

Cite this Entry

“Domicile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domicile. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

domicile

1 of 2 noun
dom·​i·​cile
ˈdäm-ə-ˌsīl,
ˈdō-mə-;
ˈdäm-ə-səl
: a place to live : home

domicile

2 of 2 verb
domiciled; domiciling
: to establish in or provide with a place to live
Etymology

Noun

from early French domicile "place where one lives, home," from Latin domicilium (same meaning), from domus "house" — related to dome, domestic

Legal Definition

domicile

1 of 2 noun
do·​mi·​cile ˈdä-mə-ˌsīl, ˈdō- How to pronounce domicile (audio)
1
: the place where an individual has a fixed and permanent home for legal purposes

called also legal residence

2
: the place where an organization (as a corporation) is chartered or that is the organization's principal place of business compare citizenship, residence

Note: The domicile of an individual or organization determines the proper jurisdiction and venue for legal process. The courts of a person's domicile have personal jurisdiction. For persons lacking capacity (as minors), domicile is often statutorily determined as the domicile of the guardian.

domicile

2 of 2 transitive verb
domiciled; domiciling
: to establish in or provide with a domicile
an alien admitted to the United States for permanent residence shall be deemed a citizen of the State in which such alien is domiciledU.S. Code
any state in which a corporation is domiciledL. H. Tribe
Etymology

Noun

Latin domicilium dwelling place, home

More from Merriam-Webster on domicile

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