What is the difference between the "edit" and "contribute" permissions in SharePoint?

Question

Accepted Answer

Edit permission allows users to modify content, while contribute permission allows users to add and edit items without full control.

Edit permission includes the ability to add, edit, and delete items in a list or library.
Contribute permission allows users to add new items and edit existing ones but does not allow deletion of items.
For example, a user with Edit permission can delete a document, while a user with Contribute permission cannot.
Edit permission is typically assigned to users who need full control over the content, while Contribute is for general users.