technical debt
Say it: TEK-nih-kul det /ˌtɛknɪk(ə)l ˈdɛt/ · noun
What “technical debt” means
Future work caused by taking messy shortcuts now.
More precisely: The future cost of choosing quick, messy solutions now instead of better, slower ones.
When to use it
In software or project discussion, when today's quick shortcuts make tomorrow's changes harder and more expensive.
Memory trick
Like borrowing time: a shortcut saves work now but leaves work to repay later.
Similar words
tech debt, accumulated shortcuts
Where it comes from
Coined by programmer Ward Cunningham in 1992.
Quick check
A rushed software patch saves a day now, but makes every later update take longer. What has the team accumulated?
technical debt or maintenance costs?
Show the answer
technical debt
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