A web browser is a software application used to access and interact with content on the World Wide Web. Its primary roles include:
1. **Requesting and Displaying Web Content**: The browser sends requests to web servers for web pages and displays the content received, which can include text, images, videos, and interactive elements.
2. **Rendering HTML/CSS**: It interprets and renders HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to display web pages as intended by web developers.
3. **Executing JavaScript**: It runs JavaScript code, enabling interactive features like forms, animations, and dynamic content on websites.
4. **Managing Navigation**: It provides tools for navigating the web, such as forward and back buttons, bookmarks, and a URL address bar.
5. **Handling Cookies and Cache**: It manages cookies and cached data to improve performance and maintain user sessions.
6. **Security and Privacy**: It offers features to enhance security and privacy, such as incognito mode, password managers, and warnings about potentially unsafe websites.
Overall, a web browser acts as a gateway to the web, allowing users to access, view, and interact with online resources efficiently.