---
id: "dns-delegation"
kind: "glossary-term"
title: "delegation (DNS)"
language: "en"
category: "DNS and technical foundations"
updated: "2026-10-04T14:01:23Z"
canonical: "https://tldlog.com/glossary/dns-delegation/"
translations:
  es: "https://tldlog.com/es/glosario/delegacion-dns/"
  de: "https://tldlog.com/de/glossar/delegation-dns/"
  fr: "https://tldlog.com/fr/glossaire/delegation-dns/"
  it: "https://tldlog.com/it/glossario/delega-dns/"
  pt-BR: "https://tldlog.com/pt/glossario/delegacao-dns/"
  ru: "https://tldlog.com/ru/glossariy/delegirovanie-dns/"
  zh-Hans: "https://tldlog.com/zh/cihui/weipai-dns/"
---

# delegation (DNS)

The act of passing responsibility for part of the DNS to other name servers. A TLD registry delegates each registered domain to the name servers its holder chose, by publishing NS records. If those servers do not answer, the delegation is called lame. Adding a new TLD to the root zone is a different kind of delegation.

## related terms

- [NS record](https://tldlog.com/glossary/ns-record/)
- [name server](https://tldlog.com/glossary/name-server/)
- [lame delegation](https://tldlog.com/glossary/lame-delegation/)
- [glue record](https://tldlog.com/glossary/glue-record/)
- [delegation (TLD)](https://tldlog.com/glossary/delegation/)