top-level domain

American  

[top-lev-uhl doh-meyn] / ˈtɒpˌlɛv əl doʊˈmeɪn /

noun

1. Computers. a domain at the highest level in the taxonomy of domain names on the internet, representing the type of entity holding the domain name, the country where it is based, or any of various domains used for other purposes. Common examples are edu, com, and org. TLD

---

Etymology

Origin of top-level domain

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

The organization that oversees internet domain names has rejected a proposal to transfer management of the .org top-level domain from a nonprofit to a private equity group.

From The Verge • Apr. 30, 2020

In the realm of internet infrastructure, .org is what’s known as a top-level domain, which means that it’s the last section of an address that helps to categorize the nature of the website.

From Slate • Jan. 22, 2020

In 2014, the Commerce Department began to remove itself from overseeing the registration of global top-level domain names — the parts of internet addresses that allow traffic to route properly across the web’s countless networks.

From New York Times • Sep. 15, 2016

In hopes of spurring creativity among Web entrepreneurs, thousands of new "top-level" domain names — the part that comes after the period — are being made available including .pet, .joy, .lol, .hotel, and .bank.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2015

Each country also has its own top-level domain.

From Zen and the Art of the Internet by Kehoe, Brendan P.