The OR Operator is a logical operator used in programming and database queries to combine multiple conditions. It returns true if at least one of the conditions is true. For example, in a search query, using the OR operator allows you to find results that match either one condition or another, making it useful for broadening search results. In many programming languages, such as Python and Java, the OR operator is represented by the symbol `||` or the word `or`. This operator is essential in decision-making processes, allowing developers to create more flexible and dynamic applications by evaluating multiple criteria simultaneously.