What Does Executable (.EXE) Mean?
An executable refers to a file containing instructions and data meant for performing a sequence of tasks on a computer. The contents of the executable file must be interpreted by an operating system to a meaningful machine code instructions to be used by physical central processing unit (CPU).
Techopedia Explains Executable (.EXE)
Some operating systems recognize executables by an extension like .exe. Or, they may recognize it through metadata, which marks the file to have execute permission, as is done in Unix-based operating systems. Most operating systems start the execution process by verifying that the file is in a valid executable form to avoid random bit sequences being accidentally executed as instructions.
