Private addresses refer to specific ranges of IP addresses that are reserved for use within private networks. These addresses are not routable on the public internet, meaning they cannot be accessed directly from outside the local network. Common examples of private address ranges include 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255, 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255, and 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255. Devices within a private network can communicate with each other using these private addresses, while a router or gateway typically manages the connection to the public internet. This setup enhances security and conserves the limited number of available public IP addresses, allowing multiple devices to share a single public address through a process called Network Address Translation (NAT).