Semantic Versioning
A versioning convention that expresses compatibility changes with MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH numbers such as 2.4.1.
Plain English
The version number signals whether a release breaks compatibility adds compatible features or contains compatible fixes.
In context
Under Semantic Versioning a major increase usually signals breaking changes a minor increase adds backward-compatible functionality and a patch increase adds backward-compatible fixes.
Example
“The breaking API change requires version 3.0.0 under our Semantic Versioning policy.”
When you'll hear this
- release planning
- package publishing
- dependency management
Common misunderstanding
Not every project follows Semantic Versioning exactly and a version number is useful only when the team defines and applies its compatibility rules consistently.
Also known as
SemVersemantic versionsemantic versioning specification
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-28
