What does the term "entity" refer to in the context of databases?

In the context of databases, the term "entity" refers to an object or concept about which data is stored. An entity can be thought of as a distinct unit that holds data attributes. For instance, in a school database, entities might include students, courses, and teachers. Each of these entities has specific characteristics or fields, such as a student's name, age, and grade level.

Understanding entities is fundamental to designing a relational database, as they form the basis for tables. Each table typically corresponds to an entity, and the rows in a table represent instances of that entity. For example, in a student table, each row represents a specific student, making it clear what data points are relevant and necessary for each kind of entity.

The other options do not adequately define what an entity is in database terms. Sorting data in a database pertains to how the data is organized or displayed rather than what constitutes an entity. A type of database user refers to the roles people play (like administrators or end-users) in working with the database, which is distinct from the concept of entities. Lastly, an application that interacts with databases describes software used for database management but does not define the structural components that the database contains, such as entities.