A framework is a structured foundation or set of tools designed to support the development of software applications. It provides pre-written code, libraries, and best practices that help developers build and organize their projects more efficiently. By offering reusable components and standardized ways to solve common problems, a framework streamlines the development process, reduces errors, and ensures consistency across applications. Frameworks can be specific to programming languages, such as Django for Python or React for JavaScript, and are widely used in web, mobile, and desktop application development.