In programming, an "exception" is an event that occurs during the execution of a program that disrupts its normal flow. Exceptions can happen for various reasons, such as trying to divide by zero or accessing a file that doesn't exist. When an exception occurs, the program can either handle it gracefully or crash, depending on how it is coded. To manage exceptions, many programming languages provide mechanisms like try-catch blocks. These allow developers to write code that can respond to exceptions without stopping the entire program. By handling exceptions, programmers can create more robust and user-friendly applications.