What is the difference between a class library and a framework

Question

I hear the whole day the terms class library, base class library, Framework, ...
What highlights a framework and what a base class library?

Answer 1

A class library is simply a set of classes encapsulated into a definable unit such as an assembly. The term is not restricted to any particular language or framework.

The Base Class Library (BCL) is a specific term attributes to the set of class libaries that come pre-installed with the .NET Framework which provide classes neatly organized into namespaces so that you have an API against which to build your own solutions.

A framework is a wider term that is inclusive of the class libraries, a virtual machine that manages controlled execution of processes, provides a runtime environment, along with other services such as memory management and exception handling. See the .NET Framework for more information.