What is the output of a compiled language after translation?

In a compiled language, the process of translation involves taking the source code, which is written in a high-level programming language, and converting it into machine code or an intermediate bytecode. The output of this process is an executable program, which can be run directly by the computer's operating system or runtime environment. This program is optimized for performance and is specific to the machine architecture, allowing it to be executed efficiently without the need for additional translation at runtime.

The key characteristic of compiled languages is that, once the code has been compiled into an executable file, it can be stored and executed multiple times without needing to go through the compilation process again. This results in faster execution compared to interpreted languages, which translate the code on the fly each time it is run. Therefore, the output of a compilation is distinctly an executable file that can be utilized independently of the source code.