A frame or framework is a structural skeleton, which supports the other components of the object. It is used in this basic sense in art (picture frame), construction (building frame, beehive frame), and mechanical engineering (bicycle frame, for instance).

The word has many extended, metaphorical meanings in various fields:

• A picture frame is a solid border around a picture or painting
• One of the still images composing a film or video. See Frame (film).
• A complete image, or the set of all picture elements representing it, in video display.
• In Video compression different frames – called I-frame, P-frames, B-frames and D-frames – are used for Motion compensation
• A transmitted packet, in telecommunications; see also Frame (telecommunications).
• In computer science, 'frame' can refer to a stack frame.
• Semantic frames in cognitive science, linguistics, or communication theory.
• The frame problem in artificial intelligence.
• A data structure for representing a stereotyped situation in artificial intelligence.
• A frame tale in literature.
• A frame of reference in physics.
• In mathematics, a frame is an abstract concept on a manifold, generalising frame of reference to a basis for the tangent bundle varying from point to point. See vierbein for an orthonormal frame. Also projective frame.
• The frame element in HTML; see HTML element#Frames
• Each player's turn in bowling games.
• The connection between lead and follow in partner dancing. See Frame (dance)
• In law, to frame someone is to make it look as if they committed a crime when they in fact did not commit said crime
• in spinning, a frame is a mechanical device with many spindles for spinning multiple threads simultaneously, as in Spinning Frame, Dressing Frame or Water Frame