NoSQL refers to a category of database systems that provide a flexible approach to storing and retrieving data, unlike traditional relational databases that use structured tables and structured query language (SQL). NoSQL databases are designed to handle large amounts of unstructured data or semi-structured data, making them ideal for modern data applications that require scalability or flexibility.
NoSQL databases do not require a given data format or structure, allowing data to be stored in formats like documents, images, graphs, or value pairs. They are designed to scale out by distributing data across multiple servers, ensuring high processing speed even for large amounts of data. Because of the lack of structure required, NoSQL databases allow for major or drastic changes in data structure to occur without major disruptions.