Reverse osmosis is a membrane filtration method that uses pressure to remove molecules and ions from water by forcing the water through a semi-permeable membrane. It is mostly used to produce drinking water from saline water. The process involves pushing water through a thin membrane with small pores from an area of high solute concentration to low solute concentration. Reverse osmosis provides benefits such as removing various contaminants like ions, silica, and large molecules. It also has low maintenance needs and energy requirements compared to other filtration methods.