In process states, what does the term "ready" refer to?

The term "ready" in the context of process states specifically refers to a process that is primed and available for execution as soon as CPU resources can be allocated. When a process is in the ready state, it has been loaded into memory and is prepared to run, but is currently not being executed because the operating system has not assigned it the CPU at that moment.

This is a crucial aspect of process management in operating systems, as multiple processes can exist in the ready state at the same time, waiting for the CPU. The operating system uses scheduling algorithms to select which process from the ready state will be allocated CPU time next.

In contrast, other options describe conditions that do not align with the definition of the ready state. For instance, a process awaiting user interaction would typically imply it is in a blocked state, and a completed process is no longer in any active state but rather has finished its execution.