Which option describes a virtual machine (VM) best?

A. An operating system that is running directly on hardware
B. An operating system that is running with dedicated hardware
C. An operating system that is running on reduced hardware features
D. An operating system that is decoupled from the hardware

D. A virtual machine, or VM, is an operating system that is running on hardware but is not directly attached to the hardware. It is decoupled from the hardware through the use of a hypervisor. The hypervisor creates an abstraction layer between the hardware and the operating system.