TCP/IP
Abbreviation · Development
Definitions
The foundational protocol suite of the internet, consisting of TCP (reliable, ordered delivery) and IP (addressing and routing). The four-layer TCP/IP model (Link, Internet, Transport, Application) is the practical alternative to the OSI model. Every internet communication ultimately runs on TCP/IP (or UDP/IP).
In plain English: The core set of rules that make the internet work, handling how data is addressed, routed, and reliably delivered.
Example: "TCP/IP is so fundamental that when people say 'the internet works,' they really mean 'TCP/IP is routing packets between networks.'"