What does domine mean?
Domine is a noun denoting a Dutch Reformed minister, particularly one serving in the Dutch colonial communities of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century New York and New Jersey. Borrowed from Dutch, where it derives from Latin dominus ('lord' or 'master'), the title carried both religious and social weight: the domine was often the most educated man in a settlement, preaching on Sundays and frequently teaching school during the week. The related spelling 'dominie' is common, though it is more strongly associated with Scottish schoolmasters. Today the word is almost entirely historical, appearing in antiquarian writing, local histories, and literature such as Washington Irving's sketches of the Hudson Valley. Its plural is domines. For readers encountering it in older American texts, it can simply be understood as the pastor of a Dutch colonial church — a figure combining spiritual leadership with community authority.
nounA title or form of address for a Dutch Reformed minister, especially in colonial New York and New Jersey; by extension, a clergyman or schoolmaster in Dutch-settled communities.
- A Dutch Reformed minister, especially in colonial-era New York, New Jersey, and other Dutch settlements.
- A clergyman or, less commonly, a schoolmaster in Dutch-American communities; sometimes used loosely for any village pastor of the period.
- As a respectful form of address: 'Domine' used before or instead of a name.
"The old domine preached his farewell sermon to the congregation at the Albany church."
"The domine baptized every child born in the settlement that winter."
"Washington Irving sketches the domine as a stern figure at the head of the Sleepy Hollow congregation."
The plural simply adds -s; the variant spelling dominie forms the plural dominies.
"Several domines gathered for the annual synod at New Amsterdam."
In colonial New York, everyone knew the domine — the Dutch Reformed minister whose pulpit voice carried as much authority as any magistrate's gavel.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of domine
Domine entered English from Dutch, which took it from Latin dominus, meaning 'lord' or 'master' — the same root that gives English words like dominion, domain, and dominate. In the Dutch Republic it was an ordinary courtesy title for clergymen, and Dutch settlers brought it to New Netherland in the seventeenth century. It remained current among English-speaking Americans in New York and New Jersey long after Dutch ceased to be spoken there, gradually falling out of use by the nineteenth century. The variant form dominie, likewise from Dutch dominee, became the standard word for a schoolmaster in Scots.
Related word forms
How domine is actually used
The word is historical and regional: it belongs chiefly to the vocabulary of Dutch colonial America and survives mostly in historical writing, genealogy, and local histories of New York and New Jersey. It is never used in contemporary speech for modern ministers.
Easily confused with domine
A domino is a small rectangular game tile or a hooded masquerade cloak, whereas a domine is a Dutch Reformed clergyman.
"Dominie" is essentially a variant spelling of the same word, but it more often refers specifically to a Scottish schoolmaster, while "domine" typically denotes a Dutch Reformed minister in America.