Microservices
An architecture that divides a system into independently deployable services around capabilities.
Plain English
Many smaller services work together instead of one deployment.
In context
Microservices trade local deployment autonomy for distributed-system operational and coordination complexity.
Example
“We should not adopt microservices without a clear scaling or ownership need.”
When you'll hear this
- architecture review
- platform planning
- scaling
Common misunderstanding
Microservices are not automatically faster or more scalable than a well-designed monolith.
Also known as
microservice architecture
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-25
