Big Data refers to the vast volumes of structured and unstructured data generated from various sources, such as social media, sensors, transactions, and devices. It encompasses three key characteristics: volume, velocity, and variety, often referred to as the “3 Vs.” Organizations harness Big Data analytics to uncover insights, improve decision-making, enhance customer experiences, and drive operational efficiencies. Technologies like Hadoop, Spark, and cloud computing play crucial roles in processing and analyzing this data at scale, enabling businesses to derive meaningful information from complex datasets.