A fractional-order system is like a regular system (like our bodies, or a car!), but instead of them following the same rules as our regular systems, they follow different rules. In a regular system, things happen in whole numbers, like one, two, three, and so on. In a fractional-order system, things can happen in fractions, like one-half, one-third, or one-fourth. This means that a fractional-order system can be much more precise than a regular system, which can help make things work better.