Object-oriented programming is a programming paradigm that revolves around the concept of objects, which are instances of classes. These objects can contain data in the form of attributes and behavior in the form of methods. Encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism are key principles of object-oriented programming that help in organizing and structuring code in a more modular and reusable way. By using objects to model real-world entities, developers can create more maintainable and scalable software systems.