domain name
compound.compound. the unique address used to find a website on the internet. It is the part of a web link that comes after 'www' and usually ends in something like '.com' or '.org'.
compound. a unique string of characters that identifies a specific website or internet resource. It serves as a human-readable alias for a numerical IP address within the Domain Name System (DNS).
You need to register a domain name before you build your website.
The company spent thousands of dollars to buy the domain name that matched their brand exactly.
Choosing a memorable domain name is a critical step in digital branding, as it influences both search engine rankings and the ease with which users can return to the site.
A compound of domain, from the Old French demeine, and name, from the Proto-Germanic namo. The term was adopted into computer networking to describe a distinct sphere of administrative autonomy within a distributed system.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often used as a compound noun; the two words are rarely hyphenated in modern usage.
Last updated July 22, 2026