# COM

/ˈkɑm/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/com
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. internet domain

adjective · CEFR A2 · Technical

Stands for commercial. You see this at the end of many website addresses.

For teachers: Abbreviation for commercial. It is the most common top-level domain (TLD) in the Domain Name System of the Internet.

- Most big businesses use a .com address for their main website.
- The company decided to purchase the .com version of their domain to ensure international brand recognition and trust.

Usage: Usually written as '.com' and pronounced 'dot com'.

### 2. computer player

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a character in a video game that is controlled by the computer, not a person.

For teachers: a non-player character or opponent in a video game whose actions are determined by the software's artificial intelligence.

- I didn't have anyone to play with, so I just played against the COM.
- The tournament settings were adjusted so that a COM would fill the empty slot if a participant disconnected during the match.

### 3. center of mass

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

Stands for center of mass. It is the point where the weight of an object is balanced.

For teachers: Abbreviation for centre of mass. The unique point where the weighted relative position of the distributed mass sums to zero.

- The engineer calculated the COM to make sure the car wouldn't tip over.
- In orbital mechanics, the COM of a two-body system is the point around which both objects actually revolve.

### 4. general abbreviation

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

a short way of writing words like 'committee', 'company', or 'communication'.

For teachers: a truncated form used in documentation or lists for various nouns including committee, company, or communication.

- The report was submitted to the finance com. for review.
- In the historical archives, 'com.' was frequently used as a shorthand for both 'company' and 'commission', depending on the ledger's context.

Usage: Often followed by a period (com.) when used in formal documents.

## Examples

- You can find our store at shop.com.
- Most international companies prefer a .com address because it is easy for customers to remember and looks professional.
- The transition from specialized suffixes to the near-universal adoption of .com reflects the commercialization of the early internet into a global marketplace dominated by private enterprise.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.