Supramolecular chemistry has its origins in the supermolecule, a term used by Nobel Laureate Jean‐Marie Lehn from the early 1970s when referring to a well‐defined chemical species comprised of several components. The realization that supermolecules could in turn form larger molecular assemblies led to the shift in emphasis from super‐ to supramolecular in the literature to more accurately describe the complexity of systems involved. Supramolecular chemistry has since advanced to include complexes between molecules with complementary binding sites (molecular recognition), multicomponent complexes (supramolecular assemblies), the programmed interactions between large molecular assemblies (molecular tectonics), and even the directed assembly of three‐dimensional solids (crystal engineering and metal–organic frameworks).This article sets out the concepts and aims of supramolecular chemistry, illustrates some of the early development in the field, considers the synthesis and structures of individual supramolecular synthons as well as supramolecular assemblies, and concludes with an assessment of current and anticipated applications in materials science, medicine, the interface with biology, molecular computing, nanomaterials, and nanomachines.