The simplest explanation for this question is that Laravel is a cross-platform, open-source PHP framework used for building web applications. This framework is very powerful and easy to learn and understand. However, fully grasping the advantages and applications of Laravel requires a deeper understanding of the framework.

Laravel offers a highly functional development environment and intuitive and visual command-line interfaces (CLI). Additionally, it uses Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) to simplify data access and manipulation. Applications built with Laravel are highly scalable and have a well-organized codebase, making it easy to maintain. Developers can use this codebase to add desired functional capabilities to the applications.