Constraint
A limit or condition that restricts the available choices for delivering an outcome.
Plain English
A boundary the solution or plan must work within.
In context
Constraints may come from time cost regulation technology capacity or compatibility and should be separated from untested assumptions.
Example
“The migration must run without downtime because availability is a hard constraint.”
When you'll hear this
- planning
- architecture review
- scope negotiation
Common misunderstanding
A constraint is not automatically permanent and teams should verify who or what creates it.
Also known as
limitationproject constraint
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-27
