A defect is an imperfection or deficiency in a work product that reduces its intended quality or usefulness.
It may affect a requirement, model, design, software component, or finished product. For example, unclear wording can create a requirements problem. Likewise, incorrect code can cause faulty system behavior.
Teams often classify defects by type, severity, priority, and origin. Therefore, they can assess the impact and plan corrective action.
Such problems may result from ambiguity, omission, incorrect assumptions, design errors, or implementation faults. Moreover, repeated issues can indicate weaknesses in the development or validation process.
The term bug often describes a software defect. However, formal terminology may distinguish between an error, a fault, and an observable failure.
Early defect detection reduces rework, lowers costs, and improves product quality.
« Back to Glossary Index