In the context of computing and the internet, a domain refers to a unique and human-readable name that is used to identify and locate websites and other online resources. It serves as an address for a particular website on the internet.
A domain is composed of two main parts: the domain name and the domain extension. For example, in the domain name "example.com," "example" is the domain name, and ".com" is the domain extension. The domain name is often chosen to reflect the name or purpose of the website or organization it represents, while the domain extension indicates the type or category of the website, such as ".com" for commercial entities, ".org" for organizations, ".edu" for educational institutions, and so on.
Domains are used in conjunction with IP addresses to facilitate the translation between user-friendly domain names and the numeric IP addresses that computers and servers use to communicate with each other on the internet. When a user enters a domain name in a web browser, the domain name system (DNS) translates it into the corresponding IP address, allowing the browser to connect to the correct web server and retrieve the requested website.
Domains can be registered and managed through domain registrars, which are organizations authorized to sell and assign domain names to individuals, businesses, or other entities. Domain names are typically registered on a yearly basis, and the registration must be renewed to maintain ownership of the domain.
