It is a collection of classes and services.It exists as a 
layer between.NET applications and underlying operating 
sytem.
 ie it encapsulates the basic functionality that was 
eaerlier built into programming languages such as debugging 
and security services.

.Net framework is a runtime environment that makes it much 
easier to write good,robust code quickly and to 
manage ,deploy and revise the code

the .Net framework actually wraps the O.S insulating 
software development with .Net
for most of the O.S  specifics such as file handling and 
memory allocation

The .net frame work contain the utilities and tools.
The .net frame work has two main components.
1>common language run time and
2>.net frame work class library
common language runtime
------------------------
runtime agent the manages code at executin time,providing 
core services such as memory management and 
threadmanagemant remorting security and robustness.

class library
-------------
class library is acomprehensive,objectoriented collection 
of reusable types that you can use to develop applications 
ranging from traditional command line or graphical 
userinterface(GUI).APPLICATION TO APPLICATION based on 
latest innovations provided by asp.net,such as web forms 
and xml webservices.

.NET frame work is collection of services and objetoriented 
software progamming

According to MicroSoft The .Net Frame Word is a Platform 
for Building ,Deploying and Running Web Services and 
Applications.It provides a highly productive,Standards-
Based ,MultiLanguge Enviroment
It consists of three Main parts :
1.Common Language Runtime(CLR)
2.A Hierarehical Set of Unified Class Libraries.
3.A Componentized version of Active Server Pages Called 
Asp.Net

Microsoft provides a New API(Application Programming 
Interface),which gives us to develop the multiple languages 
in the single platform.

Because of this platform have CLR,CTS,Class libraries and 
web services.

Kamal..

.net framework is a collection of services & classes.it 
exists as a layer b/w .net applications 7 the underlying 
operating system.
.net framework consists of web forms,window forms & console 
applications that pertain to the presentation layer of the 
aaplication.
.net framework consists of two other components,the .net 
framework base classes & common language runtime(CLR).

.Net Framework is a s/w environment which sits on operating 
system that has lot of precoded components like 
CLR,BCL,ADO.NET,XML,WEBSERVICES that allows us to 
design,develop,deploy a variety of applications including 
web and windows based applications.

It is a special s/w Which will mask the functionality of
os and makes the program to run under its control

.Net Framework is a collection of base classes / 
libraries , specifications and Runtime that are required to 
run and debug any appliaction developed using similar 
version of MSVisualStudio and moreover this .Net framework 
acts as an intermediate layer between the MSVisualstudio 
Appliaction and the underlaying OS Thus Achieving the 
platform independence of VisualStudio Appliactions.