Scrum.org glossary
Key Scrum.org certification terms and acronyms.
Definitions are AI-assisted and reviewed for general accuracy — verify critical details against Scrum.org's official documentation.
Adaptation
One of three Scrum pillars requiring that if any aspect of a process deviates outside acceptable limits, the process or material must be adjusted.
Backlog Refinement
The ongoing activity of breaking down and further defining Product Backlog items into smaller, more precise items; not an official Scrum event.
Backlog Refinement
An ongoing activity in which the Product Owner and Developers add detail, estimates, and order to Product Backlog Items.
Daily Scrum
A 15-minute daily event for Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as needed.
Daily Scrum
A 15-minute daily event for Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary.
Developers
Scrum Team members who are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint, regardless of technical discipline.
DoDDefinition of Done
A formal description of the quality state an Increment must meet before it can be considered complete.
DoDDefinition of Done
A formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.
Empiricism
The foundational theory of Scrum asserting that knowledge comes from experience and decisions are based on observation via transparency, inspection, and adaptation.
Empiricism
The Scrum principle that knowledge comes from experience and decisions are based on observation, transparency, and adaptation.
Impediment
Any obstacle that slows or blocks the Scrum Team's progress; the Scrum Master is accountable for helping remove impediments beyond the team's control.
Increment
A concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal; each Increment must meet the Definition of Done and be usable.
Increment
A concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal; each Increment must be usable and meet the Definition of Done.
Inspection
One of three Scrum pillars requiring frequent examination of Scrum artifacts and progress toward agreed goals to detect undesirable variances.
PBIProduct Backlog Item
A single entry in the Product Backlog representing a feature, fix, or improvement that may be selected for a Sprint.
POProduct Owner
The Scrum Team member accountable for maximizing product value by managing and ordering the Product Backlog.
POProduct Owner
The Scrum Team member accountable for maximizing product value by managing and ordering the Product Backlog.
Product Backlog
An ordered, emergent list of everything needed to improve a product; the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team.
Product Backlog
An ordered, emergent list of everything needed to improve the product, and the single source of work for the Scrum Team.
Product Goal
The long-term objective for the product that the Scrum Team works toward; it is embedded in the Product Backlog.
Product Goal
The long-term objective for the Scrum Team that the Product Backlog defines the work to achieve; only one Product Goal is pursued at a time.
Release Plan
A high-level forecast of when product features or goals might be delivered, based on team velocity and backlog ordering.
ROIReturn on Investment
A measure of the value or benefit gained relative to the cost incurred; the Product Owner uses it to guide prioritization decisions.
Scrum
A lightweight framework for developing and sustaining complex products using iterative, incremental practices within a structured set of roles, events, and artifacts.
Scrum
A lightweight framework for developing and sustaining complex products using iterative, incremental practices within defined roles, events, and artifacts.
Scrum Values
The five values—Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage—that guide Scrum Team behavior and build trust.
Scrum Values
Five values—Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage—that guide behavior within a Scrum Team.
Self-Management
The Scrum principle that Developers internally decide who does what, when, and how within the team rather than being directed externally.
SMScrum Master
The Scrum Team member accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide and helping the team and organization understand and enact Scrum.
SMScrum Master
The Scrum Team member accountable for establishing Scrum and helping the team and organization understand its theory and practice.
Sprint
A fixed-length timebox of one month or less during which the Scrum Team creates a usable, potentially releasable Increment.
Sprint
A fixed-length event of one month or less during which a usable, potentially releasable Product Increment is created.
Sprint Backlog
The set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, plus the Sprint Goal and a plan for delivering the Increment.
Sprint Backlog
The set of Product Backlog Items selected for the Sprint plus a plan for delivering the Increment and achieving the Sprint Goal.
Sprint Goal
A single objective for the Sprint that provides focus and flexibility, created collaboratively during Sprint Planning.
Sprint Goal
The single objective set for a Sprint that provides focus and coherence, giving the Scrum Team flexibility in the work needed to achieve it.
Sprint Planning
The Scrum event that initiates a Sprint by laying out the work to be performed, resulting in the Sprint Backlog and Sprint Goal.
Sprint Planning
A Scrum event that initiates the Sprint by establishing the Sprint Goal, selecting PBIs, and planning the work.
Sprint Retrospective
A Scrum event where the Scrum Team inspects itself and creates a plan for improvements to be enacted during the next Sprint.
Sprint Retrospective
A Scrum event where the team inspects its processes, tools, and interactions to identify improvements for the next Sprint.
Sprint Review
A Scrum event at the end of the Sprint where the team inspects the Increment and adapts the Product Backlog with stakeholders.
Sprint Review
A Scrum event held at the end of the Sprint where the Scrum Team and stakeholders inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog.
Stakeholder
Any individual or group outside the Scrum Team with an interest in the product who may influence or be impacted by it.
Three Pillars
Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation—the three pillars that uphold empirical process control in Scrum.
Transparency
One of three Scrum pillars requiring that the emergent process and work be visible to those performing and receiving the work.
User Story
A common PBI format expressing a feature from an end-user perspective, typically: 'As a [role], I want [goal] so that [benefit].'
User Story
An informal, natural-language description of a feature from the perspective of an end user; a common but non-mandatory way to express Product Backlog items.
Value
The benefit delivered to users, customers, or the organization; the Product Owner is accountable for maximizing it.
Velocity
A measure of the amount of work a team completes per Sprint, used for internal forecasting rather than commitment.
Velocity
An informal planning metric representing the amount of work a Scrum Team completes per Sprint; not defined in the Scrum Guide but commonly used.