IP address

4 synonyms for IP address, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A number assigned to a device so that other devices on a network can find it and send data to it, in the same way a postal address tells a courier where to deliver a parcel.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

internet address network address numeric address

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun technical

A number assigned to a device so that other devices on a network can find it and send data to it, in the same way a postal address tells a courier where to deliver a parcel.

“The support agent asked me to read out the router's IP address before she could look at the fault.”

internet address network address IP numeric address

2. noun

Such a number treated as a rough indicator of where a person or device is connecting from, used by websites to guess a visitor's country or region.

“The video would not play because my IP address showed I was outside the country it was licensed in.”

network address IP

How to use IP address

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

static IP address dynamic IP address public IP address private IP address assign an IP address block an IP address

Everyday in technical support and networking; widely understood by non-specialists in the phrase "what's your IP address".

Etymology

An initialism of internet protocol address, from the internet protocol, the set of rules that governs how data is addressed and routed between networked devices.

Full origin of IP address →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an IP address and a MAC address?

An IP address is given to a device by the network it joins, and it changes when the device joins a different network. A MAC address is fixed in the device's network hardware by the manufacturer and identifies that piece of hardware itself. Broadly, the IP address says where the device currently is; the MAC address says which device it is.

What is the difference between an IP address and a domain name?

A domain name such as example.com is a readable label for humans; the IP address is the number machines actually use to route data. The domain name system translates one into the other, so typing a name in a browser results in a lookup that returns an address.

Is an IP address the same as a physical location?

No. It indicates the network connection a device is using, which usually narrows things down to a city or region and to the internet provider involved. It does not identify a street address or a person by itself.

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