The purpose of a software framework in application development is to provide a foundational structure that facilitates the building of applications. Frameworks offer reusable code, components, and libraries, which streamline the development process by reducing redundancy and improving efficiency. They also enforce best practices and coding standards that enhance maintainability and scalability. By providing pre-defined architecture—like Model-View-Controller (MVC)—developers can focus on specific application logic rather than underlying infrastructure. Overall, frameworks accelerate development time and improve consistency across projects.