Domestic violence is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. Domestic violence is often used as a synonym for intimate partner violence, which is committed by one of the people in an intimate relationship against the other person, and can take place in relationships or between former spouses or partners. In its broadest sense, domestic violence also involves violence against children, parents, or the elderly. It can assume multiple forms, including physical, verbal, emotional, economic, religious, reproductive, financial abuse, or sexual abuse. It can range from subtle, coercive forms to marital rape and other violent physical abuse, such as choking, beating, female genital mutilation, and acid throwing that may result in disfigurement or death, and includes the use of technology to harass, control, monitor, stalk or hack. Domestic murder includes stoning, bride burning, honor killing, and dowry death, which sometimes involves non-cohabitating family members. In 2015, the United Kingdom's Home Office widened the definition of domestic violence to include coercive control.

घरेलू हिंसा सहवास अथवा विवाह जैसे बंधनों के बाद घरेलू स्तर पर एक साथी का अन्य साथी के साथ मारपीट अथवा दुर्व्यवहार को प्रकट करने वाला शब्द है। अंतरंग साथी अथवा जीवन साथी के साथ दुर्व्यवहार भी घरेलू हिंसा की श्रेणी में आता है। घरेलू हिंसा विपरीत लिंगी अथवा समलैंगिक संबंधों में भी हो सकती है। घरेलू हिंसा के शारीरिक, भावनात्मक, मौखिक, आर्थिक और यौन शोषण सहित विभिन्न रूप हो सकते हैं, जिसमें धूर्तता से लेकर विवाह पश्चात बलात यौन सम्बन्ध और हिंसक शारीरिक शोषण भी शामिल हैं एवं इसके परिणामस्वरूप मानसिक अथवा शारीरिक विरूपण अथवा मौत भी संभव है।