ADO stands for ActiveX Data Objects. It is an application program for writing Windows applications. It is used to get access to a relational or non-relational database from database providers such as Microsoft and others.

In the context of .NET development, ADO stands for “ActiveX Data Objects.” It is a set of COM objects used to access and manipulate data from a database or any other tabular data sources. ADO provides a consistent way to access data from various data sources, such as databases like SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, etc., as well as Excel spreadsheets, text files, and more.

Here’s a concise answer you could provide in an interview:

“ADO (ActiveX Data Objects) is a set of COM objects in the Microsoft .NET framework used for accessing and manipulating data from various data sources. It provides a consistent interface to interact with databases and other tabular data sources, enabling developers to write data-driven applications efficiently.”