Final answer:
A compiler is a program that translates high-level programming language code into machine code so that a computer can execute the instructions.
Step-by-step explanation:
A compiler is a program that translates high-level programming language code into machine code. It takes the code written by a programmer and converts it into a form that a computer can understand and execute. The purpose of a compiler is to facilitate the execution of the program by translating it into a language that the computer's hardware can process.