jQuery, a once-popular JavaScript library known for simplifying HTML document manipulation, event handling, animation, and AJAX, has seen a decline in usage due to the rise of modern frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue, along with improvements in browser APIs and ECMAScript 2015. Despite its diminished presence in new projects, jQuery still powers a significant portion of the web, particularly in legacy systems and projects that prioritize cross-browser compatibility and rapid prototyping. Its simplicity, extensive documentation, and large community continue to make it a viable option for developers working with older codebases or those needing quick and effective solutions without a steep learning curve. However, jQuery's performance issues, increased bundle size, and the ease of writing unmaintainable code have led many developers to prefer more efficient and modern alternatives, as these address the limitations that jQuery was initially created to solve.