Domain vs. Demesne: Difference and Comparison
Edited by Muazma Batool — By Muneeza Rehman — Updated on September 26, 2023
A "domain" is a territory or sphere of influence or control, while a "demesne" refers specifically to lands held directly by a lord, especially in the feudal system.
Difference Between Domain and Demesne
At their core, both "domain" and "demesne" denote some form of territory. Yet, their applications and connotations vary, drawing from different contexts and eras. "Domain" is a versatile term that can describe a realm or territory under the control of a particular ruler or government, or a specific area of knowledge or activity. For example, mathematics might be the domain of mathematicians, while a country can be the domain of its ruling power.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
Conversely, "demesne" possesses a more specific and historical context. Stemming from feudal traditions, a demesne refers to the portion of lands held directly by a lord and not given to tenants. This is where the lord would have his main house or castle and the surrounding lands. In essence, it is the land a lord would keep for personal use, rather than leasing out.
Muazma Batool
Sep 26, 2023
"Domain" has also found its niche in modern contexts, especially in the realms of technology and the internet. The term "domain name" is ubiquitous, referring to an address of a website on the internet. "Demesne," while still in use, especially in historical or legal contexts, does not enjoy the same breadth of modern application as "domain."
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
On a broader note, while both words might be used interchangeably in some contexts to denote territory or a realm, "domain" is undoubtedly more versatile. "Demesne," with its feudal connotations, has a flavor of antiquity to it, reminding us of a bygone era where lands, lords, and serfs played central roles in societal structures.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
Domain vs. Demesne Comparison Chart
Primary Usage
Refers to a sphere of control or activity
Refers to lands directly controlled by a lord in the feudal system
Muazma Batool
Sep 26, 2023
Historical Context
Used broadly in various historical contexts
Primarily associated with the feudal system
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
Modern Application
Used in tech for domain names
Less commonly used, more in historical/legal settings
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
Example
The tropical rainforest is the domain of many unique species.
The castle and the nearby fields were part of the lord's demesne.
Henry
Sep 26, 2023
Domain vs. Demesne Definitions
◉Domain
An area or territory owned or controlled.
The entire island became the king's domain.
Muazma Batool
Sep 26, 2023
◉Demesne
Law: possession of real property in one's own right.
The property came into his demesne after the legal battle.
Kaitlyn
Sep 26, 2023
◉Domain
A specified environment or walk of life.
The kitchen has always been her mother's domain.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
◉Demesne
Land attached to a manor and retained for the owner's use.
The demesne was filled with orchards and grazing pastures.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
◉Demesne
Lands held directly by a lord, especially in the feudal system.
The vast demesne surrounding the castle was breathtaking.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
◉Domain
A sphere of activity, influence, or knowledge
the domain of history.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Demesne
Territory over which rule or control is exercised.
His ancestral demesne was a matter of pride for the family.
William
Sep 26, 2023
◉Domain
The set of all possible values of an independent variable of a function.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
(Computers)A group of networked computers that share a common communications address.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
(Physics)Any of numerous contiguous regions in a ferromagnetic material in which the direction of spontaneous magnetization is uniform and different from that in neighboring regions.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
(Biology)Any of three primary divisions of organisms, consisting of the eukaryotes, bacteria, and archaea, that rank above a kingdom in taxonomic systems based on similarities of DNA sequences.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
A geographic area owned or controlled by a single person or organization.
The king ruled his domain harshly.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Demesne
A lord's chief manor place, with that part of the lands belonging thereto which has not been granted out in tenancy; a house, and the land adjoining, kept for the proprietor's own use.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
A field or sphere of activity, influence or expertise.
Dealing with complaints isn't really my domain: get in touch with customer services.
His domain is English history.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Demesne
A lord's chief manor place, with that part of the lands belonging thereto which has not been granted out in tenancy; a house, and the land adjoining, kept for the proprietor's own use.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
(mathematics) The set of all possible mathematical entities (points) where a given function is defined.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Demesne
extensive landed property (especially in the country) retained by the owner for his own use;
the family owned a large estate on Long Island
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
The set of input (argument) values for which a function is defined.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Demesne
territory over which rule or control is exercised;
his domain extended into Europe
he made it the law of the land
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
(mathematics) A ring with no zero divisors; that is, in which no product of nonzero elements is zero.
integral domain
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
An open and connected set in some topology. For example, the interval (0,1) as a subset of the real numbers.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
Any DNS domain name, particularly one which has been delegated and has become representative of the delegated domain name and its subdomains.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
A collection of DNS or DNS-like domain names consisting of a delegated domain name and all its subdomains.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
(computing) A collection of information having to do with a domain, the computers named in the domain, and the network on which the computers named in the domain reside.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
(computing) The collection of computers identified by a domain's domain names.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
(physics) A small region of a magnetic material with a consistent magnetization direction.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
(computing) Such a region used as a data storage element in a bubble memory.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
(data processing) A form of technical metadata that represent the type of a data item, its characteristics, name, and usage.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
(taxonomy) The highest rank in the classification of organisms, above kingdom; in the three-domain system, one of the taxa Bacteria, Archaea, or Eukaryota.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
(biochemistry) A folded section of a protein molecule that has a discrete function; the equivalent section of a chromosome
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
The territory over which dominion or authority is exerted; the possessions of a sovereign or commonwealth, or the like. Also used figuratively.
The domain of authentic history.
The domain over which the poetic spirit ranges.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
Landed property; estate; especially, the land about the mansion house of a lord, and in his immediate occupancy; demesne.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
Ownership of land; an estate or patrimony which one has in his own right; absolute proprietorship; paramount or sovereign ownership.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
the set of values which the independent variable of a function may take. Contrasted to range, which is the set of values taken by the dependent variable.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
a region within a ferromagnetic material, composed of a number of atoms whose magnetic poles are pointed in the same direction, and which may move together in a coordinated manner when disturbed, as by heating. The direction of polarity of adjacent domains may be different, but may be aligned by a strong external magnetic field.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
an address within the internet computer network, which may be a single computer, a network of computers, or one of a number of accounts on a multiuser computer. The domain specifies the location (host computer) to which communications on the internet are directed. Each domain has a corresponding 32-bit number usually represented by four numbers separated by periods, as 128.32.282.56. Each domain may also have an alphabetical name, usually composed of a name plus an extension separated by a period, as worldsoul.org; the alphabetical name is referred to as a domain name.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
the three-dimensional structure within an immunoglobulin which is formed by one of the homology regions of a heavy or light chain.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
the field of knowledge, expertise, or interest of a person; as, he had a limited domain of discourse; I can't comment on that, it's outside my domain.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
people in general; especially a distinctive group of people with some shared interest.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
a particular environment or walk of life;
his social sphere is limited
it was a closed area of employment
he's out of my orbit
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
territory over which rule or control is exercised;
his domain extended into Europe
he made it the law of the land
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
the set of values of the independent variable for which a function is defined
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
people in general; especially a distinctive group of people with some shared interest;
the Western world
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
a knowledge domain that you are interested in or are communicating about;
it was a limited domain of discourse
here we enter the region of opinion
the realm of the occult
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Domain
A division in mathematics, especially one with distinct properties.
Determine the domain of the function.
Jonathan
Sep 26, 2023
Domain vs. Demesne Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use demesne in place of domain?
While they both can mean "territory," "demesne" has more specific and historical implications, so it's not always interchangeable.
Jonathan
Sep 26, 2023
Is demesne used in modern English?
While not as common as "domain," "demesne" is still used, especially in legal or historical contexts.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
Can a domain refer to a habitat?
Yes, such as when a certain area is the domain of a specific animal species.
Kaitlyn
Sep 26, 2023
Can domain refer to knowledge areas?
Yes, a domain can refer to a specific field of knowledge or expertise.
Muazma Batool
Sep 26, 2023
How is domain used in mathematics?
In math, the domain often refers to the set of values for which a function is defined.
Jonathan
Sep 26, 2023
Does domain have technological connotations?
Yes, especially in reference to domain names on the internet.
Kaitlyn
Sep 26, 2023
Is demesne exclusively about land?
Primarily, but it can also broadly mean a realm or territory of control.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
Does demesne have any legal significance?
Yes, especially in property law, referring to possession or control of real property.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
Are both words of English origin?
Both words have roots in Old French, with "domain" from "dominum" and "demesne" from "demeine."
Elijah
Sep 26, 2023
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