Actually not really... A single-phase-AC-sourced rectifier does need a considerable output capacitor, though, and it will have a poor power factor with severe harmonics unless it spends extra on PFC which would not be necessary with a local DC grid supply (say, 320V DC to replace 230V AC systems to match peak voltage; yes the higher RMS voltage results in (anti-)proportionally reduced current, allowing cheaper/thinner wires or less loss).

Many LED bulbs are a simple diode rectifier circuit, essentially with a bunch of LEDs stacked to add up to a total 120V bias voltage. These will blink at 60Hz or 120Hz depending of if they implement a half-wave or full-wave.

More complicated bulbs use an active rectifier / switching power supply instead.

Those are kinda shit, though. Also, the ones you're thinking of should be capacitive dropper circuits, if I'm not mistaken.

There's also the electrolytic-smoothed bridge rectifier variant. BigClive has a lot of teardowns of such light bulbs (and non-bulb-shaped alternatives) with circuit diagrams and explanations. They're really good for learning about the various "cheap LED bulb" designs.

Can you clarify the difference?

Inverter: DC -> AC

Rectifier: AC -> DC

Edit: whoops I'm late to the party

Generally Rectifier = AC to DC and Inverter = DC to AC

Sorry, but no. An inverter uses switch-mode technology to enable voltage conversion. Usually this allows using small high-frequency transformers, rather than large 50/60Hz iron cored units. Which is why so many wall-warts use Inverters to step the voltage down.

Yes, switching power supplies can be used to go from AC to DC, but those are not inverters. They're a form of active rectifier.

Perhaps you learned it differently, but according to any source I can find, they're defined as I said.