HTTP
n.n. Stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The set of rules that computers use to send and receive web pages over the internet.
n. Abbreviation for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The foundational application-layer protocol used by the World Wide Web to define how messages are formatted and transmitted between clients and servers.
Every website address you type starts with HTTP or HTTPS.
When you click a link, your browser sends an HTTP request to a server to ask for the page data.
The transition from HTTP to its encrypted successor has become a standard security requirement for any site handling sensitive user information.
An initialism of Hypertext Transfer Protocol, coined by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989. It was devised as part of the original technical architecture for the World Wide Web.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Usually treated as an uncountable noun or used as a modifier before another noun, such as 'request' or 'protocol'.
Last updated July 22, 2026