Domain Definition & Meaning

A domain is a network of computers and devices that are controlled by one set authority and that have specific guidelines. More specifically, within the Internet, a domain is controlled by one particular company that has its own Internet presence and IP address. The domain is labeled by its domain name, such as Webopedia or webopedia.com. Domain name system (DNS) servers translate a domain name request from an Internet user into an IP address that the computer can read. The DNS server then connects the user to the website for the IP address it finds within the server records.

Top-level domains (TLDs) are the highest ranking domains in the Internet. TLDs are labeled by the extension of their domain name, such as .com, .org or .net.

Application domains and alternative definitions

An application domain applies to a specific software application and separates it clearly from other applications. A domain-specific language (DSL) is a programming language designed only for one particular domain. For example, SQL (Structured Query Language) is a domain-specific language for database management. It applies only to certain databases.

A domain in general computer terminology is also the range of values that belong to a specific attribute: for example, the range that applies to certain data types. Within a Google Sheet, the list of possible values that the user has designated for a specific column are that column’s domain.