Software Testing Glossary

This glossary gives plain-English definitions of the software testing and QA automation terms that come up most in planning meetings, bug reports and tool evaluations. Each entry opens with a one-sentence definition you can quote, then explains how the practice works, gives real examples, lists its benefits and limits, and compares it with the terms it is most often confused with — unit testing against integration testing, or smoke testing against regression testing.

The terms below are grouped into three areas: test objects (what a test exercises), execution (when and how tests run during a release), and QA practice (what keeps an automated suite trustworthy over time). Start with the group that matches your question; every term also has its own card further down.

For a fuller treatment of a topic, follow the links inside each entry to the matching guide or playbook.