I tend to call it a "pointer", to distinguish it from the text cursor, and because it can be controlled without a mouse (e.g. trackpad). However, I would like to use the same kind of language Apple uses, especially when writing instructions or tutorials for others.
I looked at some settings in System Preferences and found this confusing bit, which seems like it might conflict:
Is there a difference here? Or is Apple just using two terms to mean the same thing?
Best Answer
Apple (and the computer industry as a whole) is using the two terms to mean the same thing.
Going to the full extreme and setting the "cursor size" as large as you can, you can see that the pointer, even though it has changed to indicate I'm in a text box, is extremely large while the actual blinking cursor is still a "normal" size.
Definition of Cursor
Per Wikipedia: