Descriptive statistics refers to the branch of statistics that involves summarizing and describing the main features of a dataset. It provides a way to organize, analyze, and present data in a meaningful and concise manner. Descriptive statistics can include measures such as measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode), measures of dispersion (range, variance, standard deviation), measures of shape (skewness, kurtosis), and measures of association (correlation, covariance). These statistics help to provide a clear understanding of the data, identify patterns or trends, and make comparisons between different groups or variables.