Get Agile glossary
Agile comes with a lot of vocabulary, and much of it means something specific. This glossary explains the terms beginners meet most often, from the basics of Scrum and Kanban to the certifications on job postings. Where an official definition exists, such as in the Scrum Guide or the Kanban Guide, the entry follows it.
- Acceptance criteria
- Specific conditions a single backlog item must meet to be accepted, such as "the user receives a confirmation email." They differ from the Definition of Done, which applies to all work.
- Related:User storyDefinition of DoneProduct Backlog item
- Agile
- A way of working that delivers value in small, frequent pieces, gathers feedback early and adapts plans as you learn. Agile is a set of values and principles rather than a single method; Scrum and Kanban are two common ways of putting it into practice.
- Related:Agile ManifestoScrumKanban
- Agile coach
- A person who helps teams, leaders or whole organizations adopt and improve agile ways of working through coaching, teaching, facilitation and mentoring. It is a job title rather than a role defined in Scrum, and many coaches start as Scrum Masters.
- Related:Scrum MasterICAgile certifications
- Agile Manifesto
- A short statement written in 2001 by seventeen software practitioners that defines agile through four values, such as "Individuals and interactions over processes and tools" and "Responding to change over following a plan." It notes that the items on the right still have value, but the items on the left are valued more.
- Related:AgileAgile principles
- Agile principles
- The twelve principles published alongside the Agile Manifesto. They cover ideas such as delivering working software frequently, welcoming changing requirements, keeping a sustainable pace and reflecting regularly on how to become more effective.
- Related:Agile ManifestoAgile
- Backlog refinement
- The ongoing work of breaking down and clarifying Product Backlog items so they are small and clear enough to work on, often adding detail, order and size estimates. Refinement is an ongoing activity in Scrum, not a formal event.
- Related:Product BacklogProduct Backlog itemStory points
- Burndown chart
- A chart showing how much work remains over time, usually across a Sprint or release. It is one optional way to make progress visible; the Scrum Guide mentions burn-downs only as an example of a forecasting practice.
- Related:VelocitySprint
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
- A Scrum Master certification from Scrum Alliance that requires a 16-hour course with an approved trainer followed by an online test. It must be renewed every two years with continuing education units (SEUs) and a renewal fee.
- Related:Professional Scrum Master (PSM)Scrum MasterContinuing education units (PDUs, SEUs)
- Continuing education units (PDUs, SEUs)
- Credits that certification holders earn through learning activities, such as courses, events or reading, to keep a certification active. For example, PMI uses professional development units (PDUs) and Scrum Alliance uses Scrum Education Units (SEUs).
- Related:Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)
- Cycle time
- In the Kanban Guide, "the elapsed time between when a work item started and when a work item finished." Shorter, more predictable cycle times usually mean faster feedback.
- Related:Flow metricsWork item ageService level expectation (SLE)
- Daily Scrum
- A 15-minute event for the Developers, held at the same time and place each working day of the Sprint. Its purpose is to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adjust the plan; the Scrum Guide does not require any particular format, such as the classic three questions.
- Related:Sprint GoalSprint BacklogTimebox
- Definition of Done
- "A formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product," according to the Scrum Guide. Work that does not meet it is not part of an Increment and cannot be presented as done.
- Related:IncrementAcceptance criteria
- Definition of Workflow (DoW)
- The team's explicit agreement on how work flows, which the Kanban Guide requires. At minimum it covers what a work item is, where work starts and finishes, the states in between, how work in progress is controlled, the policies for moving work, and a service level expectation.
- Related:KanbanKanban boardService level expectation (SLE)
- Developers
- In Scrum, "the people in the Scrum Team that are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint." The term covers everyone doing the work, including designers, testers and analysts, not only programmers.
- Related:Scrum TeamIncrementSprint Backlog
- Empiricism
- The idea Scrum is built on. The Scrum Guide puts it this way: "knowledge comes from experience and making decisions based on what is observed." In practice, teams make work visible, check results often and adjust.
- Related:Scrum pillarsScrumSprint Review
- Flow metrics
- The four measures the Kanban Guide requires: work in progress, throughput, work item age and cycle time. The 2025 guide renamed them from "Kanban measures" to flow metrics.
- Related:Work in progress (WIP)ThroughputCycle time
- ICAgile certifications
- A family of certifications earned by completing accredited courses, organized into learning tracks such as agile fundamentals, team facilitation and coaching. Practitioner-level certifications (ICP) are knowledge-based, while expert-level ones (ICE) require demonstrating competence; the organization describes its approach as framework-neutral.
- Related:Agile coachProfessional Scrum Master (PSM)PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
- Increment
- A usable piece of product that meets the Definition of Done. The Scrum Guide calls it "a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal"; a team may create more than one Increment in a Sprint.
- Related:Definition of DoneProduct GoalIncremental delivery
- Incremental delivery
- Delivering a product in usable pieces that add up over time, rather than all at once at the end. Each piece should work on its own so people can use it and give feedback.
- Related:Iterative developmentIncrement
- Iterative development
- Building a product through repeated cycles, where each cycle revisits and improves earlier work based on feedback. In Scrum, each Sprint is one such cycle.
- Related:Incremental deliverySprintEmpiricism
- Kanban
- The Kanban Guide, updated in May 2025, defines it as "a strategy for optimizing the flow of value through a process." It rests on three practices: defining and visualizing a workflow, actively managing items in it, and improving it. Kanban does not prescribe roles or fixed-length iterations.
- Related:Kanban boardDefinition of Workflow (DoW)Flow metrics
- Kanban board
- A visual display of a workflow, usually with columns for each stage and cards for each work item. The Kanban Guide calls the visualization of the Definition of Workflow a Kanban board, and it can be physical or digital.
- Related:KanbanDefinition of Workflow (DoW)WIP limit
- Lean
- A way of thinking that focuses on delivering value to the customer while reducing waste, such as waiting, rework and unfinished work. Many agile practices, including Kanban and limiting work in progress, draw on lean ideas.
- Related:KanbanWork in progress (WIP)Agile
- PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
- A certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI) that covers several agile approaches, including Scrum, Lean and Kanban. Candidates need documented agile experience and formal agile training before taking the exam, and maintain it by earning professional development units (PDUs) every three years.
- Related:Continuing education units (PDUs, SEUs)LeanKanban
- Product Backlog
- In the Scrum Guide's words, "an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product." It is the single source of work for the Scrum Team and is managed by the Product Owner.
- Related:Product Backlog itemBacklog refinementProduct Goal
- Product Backlog item
- A single entry in the Product Backlog, such as a feature, fix, improvement or piece of research. Scrum does not prescribe a format; many teams write items as user stories.
- Related:Product BacklogUser storyAcceptance criteria
- Product Goal
- A longer-term objective for the product. The Scrum Guide says it "describes a future state of the product which can serve as a target for the Scrum Team to plan against." A team works toward one Product Goal at a time.
- Related:Product BacklogSprint GoalProduct Owner
- Product Owner
- The Scrum Team member who, in the Scrum Guide's words, "is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team." The Product Owner manages the Product Backlog, including ordering it and setting the Product Goal. It is one person, not a committee.
- Related:Product BacklogProduct GoalScrum Team
- Professional Scrum Master (PSM)
- A Scrum Master certification from Scrum.org, earned by passing an online assessment on the Scrum Guide. For PSM I, a course is recommended but not required, and the certification does not need renewal; PSM II and III cover more advanced levels.
- Related:Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)Scrum MasterScrum Guide
- Pull system
- A way of working where new work is started only when there is capacity for it, rather than being pushed onto a team. Controlling WIP is what creates a pull system in Kanban.
- Related:WIP limitWork in progress (WIP)Kanban
- SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)
- A framework for applying agile across many teams in a large organization, with its own roles, events and certifications such as SAFe Agilist and SAFe Scrum Master. SAFe certifications require ongoing continuing education to stay current.
- Related:Scaling frameworksContinuing education units (PDUs, SEUs)
- Scaling frameworks
- Approaches for coordinating agile work across many teams that share a product or goal, such as SAFe, LeSS and Nexus. They add structure for planning and integration across teams, and they vary widely in how much they prescribe.
- Related:SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)Scrum
- Scrum
- A framework that the Scrum Guide describes as "a lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems." It organizes work into Sprints and defines three accountabilities, five events and three artifacts.
- Related:Scrum GuideSprintScrum Team
- Scrum Guide
- The official, free definition of Scrum, written by Scrum's co-creators Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland. The current edition was published in November 2020 and is deliberately short, leaving many practices to the team.
- Related:ScrumScrum pillarsScrum values
- Scrum Master
- The Scrum Team member who, per the Scrum Guide, "is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide." The Scrum Master helps the team, the Product Owner and the wider organization understand and use Scrum, and works to remove obstacles to the team's progress. The 2020 guide describes Scrum Masters as "true leaders who serve" rather than using the older term "servant leader."
- Related:Scrum TeamAgile coachProfessional Scrum Master (PSM)
- Scrum pillars
- The three pillars of empiricism in Scrum: transparency, inspection and adaptation. Work and progress must be visible, checked frequently, and adjusted as soon as something is found to be off track.
- Related:EmpiricismScrum valuesScrum
- Scrum Team
- The small team that does the work in Scrum: one Scrum Master, one Product Owner and the Developers, with no sub-teams or hierarchies. The Scrum Guide says it is typically 10 or fewer people and is cross-functional and self-managing.
- Related:Product OwnerScrum MasterDevelopers
- Scrum values
- The five values the Scrum Guide asks teams to live by: commitment, focus, openness, respect and courage. The guide treats them as what makes the pillars of transparency, inspection and adaptation work.
- Related:Scrum pillarsScrum Team
- Self-management
- A team's ability to decide internally who does what, when and how. The 2020 Scrum Guide describes Scrum Teams as self-managing and cross-functional, meaning they have all the skills needed to create value each Sprint.
- Related:Scrum TeamDevelopers
- Service level expectation (SLE)
- A forecast of how long a work item should take to flow from started to finished, often stated with a confidence level such as "85% of items finish within 10 days." The Kanban Guide makes it part of the Definition of Workflow.
- Related:Definition of Workflow (DoW)Cycle timeWork item age
- Sprint
- A fixed-length period of one month or less in which a Scrum Team turns ideas into a usable Increment. A new Sprint starts right after the previous one ends, and it contains all the other Scrum events.
- Related:Sprint PlanningSprint GoalTimebox
- Sprint Backlog
- The Developers' plan for the Sprint, made up of the Sprint Goal (why), the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what) and a plan for delivering them (how). It is updated throughout the Sprint as the team learns more.
- Related:Sprint GoalSprint PlanningDevelopers
- Sprint Goal
- "The single objective for the Sprint," according to the Scrum Guide. It is set during Sprint Planning and gives the Developers focus and some flexibility in exactly which work they do to meet it.
- Related:Sprint PlanningSprint BacklogProduct Goal
- Sprint Planning
- The event that starts a Sprint, where the whole Scrum Team decides why the Sprint is valuable, what can be done and how the work will get done. It is timeboxed to a maximum of eight hours for a one-month Sprint and is usually shorter for shorter Sprints.
- Related:SprintSprint GoalSprint Backlog
- Sprint Retrospective
- The event that ends a Sprint, where the Scrum Team reviews how the Sprint went in terms of people, interactions, processes, tools and its Definition of Done. Its purpose is "to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness."
- Related:SprintDefinition of DoneScrum pillars
- Sprint Review
- The event near the end of a Sprint where the Scrum Team and key stakeholders look at what was accomplished and decide what to do next. The Scrum Guide says its purpose is "to inspect the outcome of the Sprint and determine future adaptations." It is a working session, not just a demo.
- Related:IncrementProduct BacklogEmpiricism
- Story points
- A relative unit some teams use to estimate the size of backlog items, comparing effort, complexity and uncertainty rather than hours. They are a team-specific practice, not part of the Scrum Guide, and are not meaningful for comparing different teams.
- Related:VelocityBacklog refinementUser story
- Throughput
- "The number of work items finished per unit of time," as defined in the Kanban Guide; for example, items finished per week. It is useful for forecasting how much a team can deliver.
- Related:Flow metricsCycle timeVelocity
- Timebox
- A fixed maximum amount of time for an activity. In Scrum, every event is timeboxed; for example, the Daily Scrum is 15 minutes and a Sprint lasts one month or less.
- Related:SprintDaily Scrum
- User story
- A short description of something a user needs, often written as "As a [type of user], I want [goal] so that [reason]." Large stories, often called epics, are split into smaller ones. User stories are a common practice, but they are not part of the Scrum Guide itself.
- Related:Product Backlog itemAcceptance criteriaStory points
- Velocity
- The amount of work, often in story points, a team typically completes in a Sprint. Teams use it as a rough planning aid; it is not a productivity score and does not compare across teams.
- Related:Story pointsBurndown chartThroughput
- Waterfall
- A sequential approach to projects in which phases such as requirements, design, build, test and release happen one after another, usually with most planning done up front. It suits work that is well understood and unlikely to change, and is often contrasted with agile.
- Related:AgileIterative development
- WIP limit
- A cap on how many work items can be in progress at once, often set per column on a Kanban board. It encourages a team to finish work before starting new work; the 2025 Kanban Guide allows other ways of controlling WIP too.
- Related:Work in progress (WIP)Kanban boardPull system
- Work in progress (WIP)
- One of the Kanban Guide's four flow metrics: "the number of work items started but not finished." Too much WIP tends to slow everything down and hide problems.
- Related:WIP limitFlow metricsPull system
- Work item age
- In the Kanban Guide, "the elapsed time between when a work item started and the current date." It applies only to unfinished work and helps teams spot items that are stuck.
- Related:Flow metricsCycle timeService level expectation (SLE)