A domain name consists of easy to remember words that control the internet. It is formed by procedures and rules of the Domain Name System also known as DNS. Domain Name System is what translates the names and words into an IP address. This means that any name registered in the Domain Name System is a Domain Name.

Domain names are used in different networking contexts, addressing purposes and application-specific naming.  Ideally a Domain Name represents an Internet Protocol (IP) resource, for example, a personal computer that is used to access the Internet, web site, a server computer hosting a web site, or any other service communicated via the Internet.

Domain names are structured in subdomains (subordinate levels) of the Domain Name System root domain, which remains nameless. The first-level set of domain names are the top-level domains (TLDs), they include generic  top-level domains , like  the prominent domains com, net, info, edu, and org, and includes the country code top-level domains (ccTLDs).

Below these top-level domains in the DNS hierarchy are the second-level and third-level domain names that are typically open for reservation by end-users who wish to connect local area networks to the Internet, create other publicly accessible Internet resources or run web sites.

The registration of these domain names is usually administered by domain name registrars who sell their services to the public.