ELT (Extract, Load, Transform) is a data processing method where data is first extracted from various sources, then loaded into a target database, and finally transformed into the desired format. This approach leverages the computational power of the target database for data transformations, allowing for greater scalability and efficiency, particularly with large data sets. ELT is commonly used in modern data architectures, such as data lakes and cloud-based data warehouses, where storage and compute resources can be scaled independently.