Dictionary term
Framework
Also called software framework
Web/DevBeginner
A library that also imposes a structure: it decides how an app is organised and calls your code at defined points, rather than you calling it.
In plain English
A ready-made structure for building an app, with the rules and plumbing already decided so you fill in your parts.
Analogy
Like a house frame already standing; you choose the rooms and finishes, not where the walls carry weight.
Why it matters
Picking a framework like Next.js decides routing, rendering and project layout for you, which speeds up building and makes projects easier to hand over.
In practice
Next.js is a framework: you put a file at app/pricing/page.tsx and it becomes the /pricing page because the framework's rules say so.
Related terms
Sources
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