Persistence refers to the ability of a system, application, or process to retain and maintain data or state information over time, even after power loss, system restarts, or crashes. In computing, persistence ensures that important information such as user settings, files, or database records remains available and consistent between sessions. This is typically achieved through storage mechanisms like databases, file systems, or non-volatile memory. Persistence is a fundamental concept in software development, enabling reliable data management and long-term information storage.