Containers: A lightweight, portable unit that packages an application and its dependencies into a single standardized executable image. Unlike traditional applications that rely on host operating systems and local dependencies, containers provide isolation at the process level, ensuring consistency regardless of where they run—be it on a developer’s laptop, an on-premises server, or a cloud environment. This makes containers particularly useful in DevOps workflows, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, and hybrid cloud strategies, where consistency and portability are key.