A byte is defined as:

A byte is defined as 8 bits. This standard is widely accepted in computer science and digital electronics, as it represents the basic unit of data that computers use to process information. Each bit is a binary digit that can be either a 0 or a 1, and when grouped together into a byte, they can represent a wide range of values and characters.

For instance, one byte can represent 256 different values (from 00000000 to 11111111 in binary), which is enough to encode standard ASCII characters, such as letters, numbers, and symbols. The choice of 8 bits as the size of a byte is also historically significant, as it balances complexity and efficiency in data storage and processing within computer systems.

Understanding this definition is crucial for comprehending higher-level concepts in electronics and computing, such as memory size, data transfer rates, and encoding schemes. Other groups of bits, like 4 bits (often called a nibble), 6 bits, or 12 bits, are used in specific contexts, but they do not define a byte.