A contingency table is a type of data table used to display the frequency distribution of variables. It helps to summarize the relationship between two categorical variables, showing how the categories of one variable relate to the categories of another. Each cell in the table represents the count of occurrences for a specific combination of the variables. These tables are commonly used in statistics and research, particularly in fields like sociology, healthcare, and marketing. By analyzing a contingency table, researchers can identify patterns, trends, and potential associations between the variables, aiding in decision-making and hypothesis testing.