Developer Dictionary
Markup Language
Definition
A system for annotating a document in a way that is syntactically distinguishable from the text.
Deep Dive
A markup language is a system for annotating a document in a way that is syntactically distinguishable from the text it surrounds. Its primary purpose is to define the structure, presentation, or semantic meaning of information within a document. Unlike programming languages that define processes, markup languages are descriptive, providing metadata and instructions for how content should be rendered, organized, or interpreted by processing applications, such as web browsers or text editors.
Examples & Use Cases
- 1Using HTML to structure a webpage, defining headers, paragraphs, links, and images for web browsers to render
- 2Defining data fields and their relationships in an XML document for data exchange between different systems
- 3Writing documentation or rich text using Markdown, which converts plain text into formatted output like HTML or PDF.
Related Terms
HTMLXMLSGML