This paper provides a comprehensive review of differential privacy (DP) as a framework for addressing privacy concerns arising from the proliferation of personal data. It covers the theoretical underpinnings, practical mechanisms, and practical applications of DP, particularly exploring algorithmic tools and domain-specific challenges in privacy-preserving machine learning and synthetic data generation. It also highlights usability issues in DP systems and the need for improved communication and transparency. It aims to assist researchers and practitioners in navigating the evolving landscape of data privacy.