domesticate

/dəˈmɛ.stɪ.keɪt/

//dəˈmɛ.stɪ.keɪt// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"domesticate" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“domesticate” is uncommon English (frequency #85,189 among 26,416 “D” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#85,189
frequency rank, English
26,416
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make domestic.

Key facts for domesticate
PropertyValue
Headworddomesticate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dəˈmɛ.stɪ.keɪt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#85,189
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “domesticate” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). domesticate lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

domesticate is uncommon English at frequency #85,189 among 26,416 “D” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /dəˈmɛ.stɪ.keɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for domesticate in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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,… The correct English form is domesticate, spelled D-O-M-E-S-T-I-C-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make domestic.
  2. 2
    To make (more) fit for domestic life.
  3. 3
    To adapt to live with humans.
  4. 4
    To adapt to live with humans.
  5. 5
    To make a legal instrument recognized and enforceable in a jurisdiction foreign to the one in which the instrument was originally issued or created.
  6. 6
    To amend the elements of a text to fit local culture.

Etymology

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.

This word in other languages

domesticar(Español)domestiquer(Français)domestizieren(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "domesticate"?
"domesticate" is spelled D-O-M-E-S-T-I-C-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dəˈmɛ.stɪ.keɪt/.
What does "domesticate" mean?
As a verb, "domesticate" means: To make domestic.
How do you pronounce "domesticate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "domesticate" is /dəˈmɛ.stɪ.keɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "domesticate"?
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... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “domesticate”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is D-O-M-E-S-T-I-C-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dəˈmɛ.stɪ.keɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list