What SQL clause specifies the condition that must be met for a record to be returned?

The clause that specifies the condition that must be met for a record to be returned is the WHERE clause. This clause filters records based on specific criteria indicated in the condition, allowing only those records that meet the criteria to be selected and included in the results of a SQL query. For example, a statement like "SELECT * FROM Employees WHERE Age > 30" will return only those employee records where the age is greater than 30.

This helps narrow down the data of interest, making it an essential tool for querying databases effectively. It is a fundamental part of SQL syntax for retrieving data that matches specific requirements. Other clauses such as ORDER BY, GROUP BY, and HAVING serve different purposes, such as sorting data, grouping records, and filtering after grouping, respectively, but they do not define conditions for selecting individual records directly in the same way the WHERE clause does.