Domain vs. Sector: What's the Difference?
Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Updated on September 29, 2023
Domain refers to a specific area of activity, knowledge, or influence, while sector is a distinct part of an economy, industry, or field.
Key Differences
Domain is a word that has multiple usages, from referring to an area of expertise to designating a part of the internet. Sector, on the other hand, is generally used to describe divisions within an economy, field, or industry.
Domain has a broader, often more abstract connotation, encompassing areas of knowledge, interest, or activity. Sector, however, is usually more specific and refers to a clearly delineated part of a larger system, such as a segment of an economy or a part of a disk.
When discussing a field of study or work, one might refer to their "domain" to denote their specific area of expertise or interest. On the other hand, "sector" would be more apt when talking about a subset of an industry, like the technology sector within the larger economy.
In internet lingo, "domain" is used to specify a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control, like a website URL. In contrast, "sector" rarely enters into these technical discussions, as its use is often tied to the division of broader systems like industries.
In a biological context, a "domain" can mean the highest rank of organisms, superseding kingdoms. The term "sector" does not apply in this biological sense, as it is generally used to describe partitions within systems, not hierarchical classifications.
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Comparison Chart
Meaning
Area of activity, knowledge, or influence
Distinct part of an economy, industry, or field
Context
Broader and more abstract
More specific and clearly delineated
Internet Usage
Refers to website URLs
Rarely used
Hierarchical Structure
Can refer to the highest rank in classification
Does not apply
Industry Applicability
Less commonly used to describe industry divisions
Commonly used for industry divisions
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Domain and Sector Definitions
Domain
A realm of administrative autonomy, like a website.
Google owns the domain google.com.
Sector
A part of an economy focused on a particular type of business.
The technology sector is booming.
Domain
A territory over which rule or control is exercised.
Sector
A military subdivision of a larger operation.
The western sector is secure.
Domain
A sphere of activity, influence, or knowledge
The domain of history.
Sector
A geographic or political subdivision.
The northern sector is experiencing growth.
Domain
The set of all possible values of an independent variable of a function.
Sector
A part or division, as of a city or a national economy
The manufacturing sector.
Domain
An open connected set that contains at least one point.
Sector
The portion of a circle bounded by two radii and the included arc.
Domain
(Computers)A group of networked computers that share a common communications address.
Sector
A measuring instrument consisting of two graduated arms hinged together at one end.
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.
Sector
(Computers) A portion of a storage device making up the smallest addressable unit of information.
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.
Sector
A division of a defensive position for which one military unit is responsible.
Domain
(Law)The land of one with paramount title and absolute ownership.
Sector
A division of an offensive military position.
Domain
A geographic area owned or controlled by a single person or organization.
The king ruled his domain harshly.
Sector
To divide (something) into sectors.
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.
Sector
Section
Domain
A group of related items, topics, or subjects.
Sector
Zone (designated area).
Domain
(mathematics) The set of all possible mathematical entities (points) where a given function is defined.
Sector
(geometry) part of a circle, extending to the center; circular sector
Domain
The set of input (argument) values for which a function is defined.
Sector
(computer hardware) fixed-sized unit (traditionally 512 bytes) of sequential data stored on a track of a digital medium (compare to block)
Domain
(mathematics) A ring with no zero divisors; that is, in which no product of nonzero elements is zero.
Integral domain
Sector
(military) an area designated by boundaries within which a unit operates, and for which it is responsible
Domain
An open and connected set in some topology. For example, the interval (0,1) as a subset of the real numbers.
Sector
(military) one of the subdivisions of a coastal frontier
Domain
Any DNS domain name, particularly one which has been delegated and has become representative of the delegated domain name and its subdomains.
Sector
(science fiction) a fictional region of space designated for navigational or governance purposes.
Domain
A collection of DNS or DNS-like domain names consisting of a delegated domain name and all its subdomains.
Sector
(calculation) an instrument consisting of two rulers of equal length joined by a hinge.
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.
Sector
A field of economic activity
Public sector;
Private sector
Domain
(computing) The collection of computers identified by a domain's domain names.
Sector
(engineering) A toothed gear whose face is the arc of a circle.
Domain
(physics) A small region of a magnetic material with a consistent magnetization direction.
Sector
(motor racing) A fixed, continuous section of the track, such that sectors do not overlap but all sectors make up the whole track.
Domain
(computing) Such a region used as a data storage element in a bubble memory.
Sector
(climbing) An area of a crag, consisting of various routes
Domain
(data processing) A form of technical metadata that represent the type of a data item, its characteristics, name, and usage.
Sector
A part of a circle comprehended between two radii and the included arc.
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.
Sector
A mathematical instrument, consisting of two rulers connected at one end by a joint, each arm marked with several scales, as of equal parts, chords, sines, tangents, etc., one scale of each kind on each arm, and all on lines radiating from the common center of motion. The sector is used for plotting, etc., to any scale.
Domain
(biochemistry) A folded section of a protein molecule that has a discrete function; the equivalent section of a chromosome
Sector
An astronomical instrument, the limb of which embraces a small portion only of a circle, used for measuring differences of declination too great for the compass of a micrometer. When it is used for measuring zenith distances of stars, it is called a zenith sector.
Domain
Dominion; empire; authority.
Sector
A plane figure bounded by two radii and the included arc of a circle
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.
Sector
A body of people who form part of society or economy;
The public sector
Domain
Landed property; estate; especially, the land about the mansion house of a lord, and in his immediate occupancy; demesne.
Sector
A particular aspect of life or activity;
He was helpless in an important sector of his life
Domain
Ownership of land; an estate or patrimony which one has in his own right; absolute proprietorship; paramount or sovereign ownership.
Sector
The minimum track length that can be assigned to store information; unless otherwise specified a sector of data consists of 512 bytes
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.
Sector
A portion of a military position
Domain
A connected set of points, also called a region.
Sector
Measuring instrument consisting of two graduated arms hinged at one end
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.
Sector
A division of a circle.
The pie chart was divided into several sectors.
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.
Sector
A distinct part of a larger system.
The public sector employs millions.
Domain
The three-dimensional structure within an immunoglobulin which is formed by one of the homology regions of a heavy or light chain.
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.
Domain
A particular environment or walk of life.
Domain
People in general; especially a distinctive group of people with some shared interest.
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
Domain
Territory over which rule or control is exercised;
His domain extended into Europe
He made it the law of the land
Domain
The set of values of the independent variable for which a function is defined
Domain
People in general; especially a distinctive group of people with some shared interest;
The Western world
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
Domain
A specific area of knowledge or expertise.
Biology is her domain.
Domain
An area over which control is exercised.
The forest is the domain of the wolves.
Domain
A field of action, thought, or influence.
Politics is not my domain.
Domain
The highest rank of organisms in biological classifications.
Bacteria belong to their own domain.
FAQs
What is a sector?
A sector is a distinct part of an economy, industry, or field.
Is domain used in internet lingo?
Yes, domain is used to refer to website URLs.
Is sector used in internet discussions?
Sector is rarely used in internet discussions.
Can a sector be part of a domain?
Yes, a sector can be a specific division within a broader domain.
Are domains broader than sectors?
Generally, domains are broader and more abstract than sectors.
Is domain used in politics?
Domain can be used more abstractly in political discussions to refer to spheres of influence.
What is a domain?
A domain is a specific area of activity, knowledge, or influence.
Does sector have a biological meaning?
No, sector is not used in biological classifications.
Can domain refer to a field of expertise?
Yes, domain can denote a specific area of knowledge or expertise.
Can sector refer to a division of a circle?
Yes, sector can refer to a division of a circle in geometry.
Is sector used in military terminology?
Yes, sector can refer to a military subdivision of a larger operation.
Can domain refer to biological classifications?
Yes, in biology, domain is the highest rank of organisms.
How are domain and sector used in industry?
Domain is less commonly used to describe industry divisions, while sector is commonly used for this purpose.
Can domain refer to an area controlled by animals?
Yes, domain can refer to areas where specific animals have control.
Can sector refer to geographic regions?
Yes, sector can refer to geographic or political subdivisions.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
