domestic in nature

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phraseformal

   Belonging to or happening inside a country rather than involving other countries.

   Grammar: Comes after a noun or after 'be': 'a matter domestic in nature'; 'The dispute is domestic in nature.'

   Patterns

   • something is domestic in nature
   • a problem domestic in nature

   The court said the dispute was domestic in nature and did not involve foreign law.

   Most of the issues raised in the report are domestic in nature, such as housing and schools.

2. 2phrasefixed phraseformal

   Connected with home or family life rather than with work or public matters.

   Grammar: Also follows a noun or 'be'; the surrounding sentence supplies the contrast with public or working life.

   Patterns

   • something is domestic in nature
   • duties domestic in nature

   Her duties at the hotel were mainly domestic in nature, such as cleaning and laundry.

   The conflict between the two brothers was domestic in nature and never reached the courts.

Common combinations

purely domestic in nature

The reasons for the price rise were purely domestic in nature.

economic in nature

The crisis began as an economic problem but soon became political.

political in nature

The protests were political in nature, not religious.

be domestic in nature

Officials insisted that the incident was domestic in nature.

Synonyms and how they differ

internal

Use 'internal' for things inside an organization or country; it is shorter and more common than 'domestic in nature'.

home-grown

This stresses origin inside the country, while 'domestic in nature' stresses the character of the thing itself.

Opposites

Word family

domestic adjective

relating to the home or to one's own country

domestically adverb

in a way that concerns the home or one's own country

Commonly confused: domestic in nature or domesticated?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “domestic in nature”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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