Idioms & SlangIntermediate
Tech debt
PronunciationTEK DET
Definition
The extra cost of future work that comes from quick shortcuts today. Like financial debt, it grows if you ignore it.
Where you hear it
Planning, refactoring, and engineering management.
Examples
We took on tech debt to hit the deadline and will fix it next sprint.
This module has a lot of tech debt.
Common mistake
Treating all tech debt as bad. A deliberate shortcut with a repayment plan can be a good decision.