core-js is a modular JavaScript standard library and polyfill system, not an end-user application. In production it supplies spec-compliant implementations of ECMAScript features, TC39 proposals, and selected web platform APIs for environments that lack native support. Its primary runtime behavior is side-effectful import: consumers load entry points such as `core-js`, `core-js/actual`, `core-js/full`, `core-js/es`, or granular per-feature modules, and the library either patches built-in constructors/prototypes or, in the `core-js-pure` variant, exports standalone implementations without global pollution. The architecture is a monorepo of packages: `core-js` (global polyfills), `core-js-pure` (pollution-free), `core-js-bundle` (prebuilt bundle), `core-js-compat` (compatibility data and module-selection engine), and `core-js-builder` (custom bundle generator). The implementation is split into thousands of tiny modules under `packages/core-js/modules/`, backed by a shared `internals/` layer that provides low-level spec operations, feature detection, environment/bug detection, iterator construction, collection internals, and export plumbing. Polyfill activation is decided by a `$({ target, stat, proto, forced }, ...)` export contract plus per-module `FORCED` flags derived from runtime probes and engine-version checks. Entry-point tiers (`es`, `stable`, `actual`, `full`, `stage`, `proposals`) map to spec maturity levels. Its primary data flow is configuration-driven: a consumer chooses an import path or, through Babel/swc integration, a set of target environments; `core-js-compat` converts targets into the minimum required module set; and `core-js-builder` can produce a custom bundle. The library itself depends on very few runtime dependencies; Babel, webpack, QUnit, Karma, and a matrix of JS engines are used for building, bundling, and testing. The codebase is unusually rigorous about spec conformance, including engine-specific bug workarounds and dual global/pure test suites. It is effectively the reference polyfill engine behind Babel's `useBuiltIns` and is highly study-worthy for anyone implementing low-level JavaScript compatibility layers.