A linked list is a data structure used in computer science to store a collection of elements. Unlike an array, where elements are stored in contiguous memory locations, a linked list consists of nodes, each containing data and a reference (or pointer) to the next node in the sequence. This allows for efficient insertion and deletion of elements, as these operations do not require shifting other elements. There are several types of linked lists, including singly linked lists, where each node points to the next node, and doubly linked lists, where nodes have pointers to both the next and previous nodes. This flexibility makes linked lists useful for various applications, such as implementing stacks, queues, and dynamic memory allocation.