physical domain
/ˈfɪzɪkəl dəˈmeɪn/ · phys·i·cal dom·ain
noun
- The portion of a system, environment, or field that concerns tangible, material aspects, as opposed to abstract, logical, or virtual components. When designing the new data center, the architects first mapped the physical domain to ensure adequate cooling and power distribution.
- In physics and engineering, the region of space in which physical quantities (such as force, temperature, or electromagnetic fields) are defined and measurable. The experiment was limited to the physical domain of the laboratory, where temperature could be precisely controlled.
Synonyms
material realmtangible spherephysical realmreal worldconcrete spaceactual environmentempirical domainobservable universe
Antonyms
Did you know? The term "physical domain" rose to prominence in the 1970s with the development of the OSI networking model, where it was used to distinguish the hardware‑level (physical) layer from higher, logical layers.