A wasp is any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant.
The Apocrita have a common evolutionary ancestor and form a clade; wasps as a group do not form a clade, but are paraphyletic with respect to bees and ants.
A group of wasps can become a huge problem for you and your family, if you have a wasp nest around your home contact the Pest Control Guy right away!