What does vector mean in science terms?

Answer 1

Any physical quantity which has both direction and magnitude is called a vector. A quantity must also obey the 'Triangle law of vector addition' to be called as a vector.

For example displacement is a vector, u can say a person moved 5 km (magnitude) along west(direction). But electric current is not a vector, it has magnitude and its direction is from +ve terminal to -ve terminal but it doesn't obey triangle law. Rather currents are added as scalars.