Cloud
A model for accessing computing storage networking and managed technology services through remotely operated infrastructure.
Plain English
Use computing resources provided over a network instead of owning and operating every underlying machine yourself.
In context
Cloud environments let teams provision resources through provider interfaces and service models while retaining responsibility for architecture configuration security cost and reliability choices.
Example
“The service runs in the cloud and scales its compute instances when traffic increases.”
When you'll hear this
- architecture planning
- infrastructure provisioning
- deployment
Common misunderstanding
Cloud does not mean infrastructure is automatically inexpensive secure reliable or free from operational responsibility.
Also known as
cloud computingcloud infrastructurecloud environment
Commonly used by
Related terms
Often compared with
Updated: 2026-08-31
