An address for internet communication
An Internet Protocol address identifies a network interface so data can be routed to and from it. Public IP addresses operate across the internet; private addresses are used inside homes and organizations.
Public and private addresses
Your router usually shares one public address among several devices using network address translation. Devices inside the network receive private addresses such as 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x or addresses from IPv6 local ranges.
Static and dynamic addresses
A static address remains intentionally fixed. A dynamic address is leased and may change over time. Most residential internet connections use dynamic allocation.