HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It is a standard markup language used to create and structure content for websites and other information that can be displayed in a web browser. HTML consists of a series of elements, represented by tags, which are used to define the structure and layout of web pages. These tags are enclosed in angle brackets (<>) and usually come in pairs, with the opening tag appearing before the content and the closing tag appearing after the content. HTML is essential for creating web pages, as it provides the framework for displaying text, images, videos, and other multimedia elements. It is a fundamental technology for building the World Wide Web and is used by web developers and designers to create and maintain websites.