What are IP addresses assigned for use on the internet referred to as?

IP addresses that are assigned for use on the internet are referred to as public addresses. Public IP addresses are globally unique, meaning that they can be accessed over the internet from anywhere in the world. These addresses are assigned by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and can be directly routed on the internet, allowing devices and services to communicate with one another over the global network.

In contrast, private addresses are reserved for use within a local network and are not routable on the internet. Local addresses are another term often used to describe private addresses, which helps to prevent the overlap of IP addresses in different networks. Static addresses refer to IP addresses that do not change and are manually assigned, which can be either public or private. The key distinction is that public addresses enable internet-wide accessibility, making them essential for any device that needs a direct connection to the internet.