L Meaning of Domicile. The term "domicile" has a special legal definition that is not the same as residence.Your domicile is the place where you reside and the place where you intend to return after temporary absences. If an individual is domiciled in Illinois, he or she remains a resident unless he or she is outside Illinois for other than temporary or transitory purposes. A person's domicile is the place where they have their most settled legal connection. The state is your "domicile," the place you envision as your home and where you intend to return after any absences. Domicile is intended to be permanent rather than temporary, whereas residence means living in a particular locality and requires mere physical presence. If an individual is domiciled in this State, he remains a resident unless he is outside of this State for other than temporary or transitory purposes. Residency can be the same as a person's domicile, but it also can be a person's temporary residence (i.e.