A domain registry is an organization responsible for managing the registration of domain names within a specific top-level domain (TLD), such as .com, .org, or .net. They maintain a database of all registered domain names and their associated information, ensuring that each name is unique and properly linked to its owner. When someone wants to register a domain name, they typically do so through a domain registrar, which acts as an intermediary between the registrant and the domain registry. The registrar submits the registration request to the registry, which then updates its database to reflect the new registration.