Scrum Glossary: Complete A-Z Terminology Reference
Scrum Glossary: Complete A-Z Reference
A comprehensive reference of all Scrum and Agile terminology in one place.
A
Accountable - Ensures that certain things happen. May delegate responsibility but always remains accountable.
Adaptation - One of the three empirical pillars. If any aspects of a process deviate outside acceptable limits or if the resulting product is unacceptable, the process or materials must be adjusted.
Agile - An iterative approach to project management and software development that helps teams deliver value faster with fewer headaches.
Agile Coach - A person who helps the team develop and maintain good habits. Similar to a Scrum Master in non-Scrum contexts.
B
Backlog - A single list containing all stories, features, bugs, and work items needed for the product.
Backlog Refinement - The activity in which the Product Owner and Developers add detail to Product Backlog items.
Burn Down Chart - A chart showing how much work remains in a Sprint. Calculated in hours remaining and maintained by the Scrum Master daily.
Burn Up Chart - A chart that demonstrates visually how many points the team got “Done” over time.
Business Value - A measure assigned to Product Backlog items indicating their importance. Typically rated as Low, Medium, or High (L, M, H).
C
Chickens - (Informal) People who are not committed to the project and are not accountable for deliverables. They observe but don’t participate.
Commitment - One of the five Scrum values. Team members personally commit to achieving the goals of the Scrum Team.
Courage - One of the five Scrum values. Team members have courage to do the right thing and work on tough problems.
Cross-functional - A team characteristic meaning the team has all skills necessary to create value each Sprint without depending on others outside the team.
D
Daily Scrum - A 15-minute daily meeting where Developers inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary.
Definition of Done (DoD) - A formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. Work is not part of an Increment unless it meets the Definition of Done.
Developers - People in the Scrum Team who are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint.
Done - Work that meets the Definition of Done and is potentially shippable.
E
Empiricism - The foundation of Scrum. Knowledge comes from experience and making decisions based on what is observed. The three pillars are Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation.
Epic - A large body of work that can be broken down into smaller User Stories.
F
Feature - A grouping of related User Stories that provide specific functionality.
Focus - One of the five Scrum values. Everyone focuses on the work of the Sprint and the goals of the Scrum Team.
Forecast - A prediction of what work can be completed. The Sprint Backlog is a forecast by the Developers about what will be in the next Increment.
I
Impediment - Anything stopping progress on a task or blocking the team from achieving their Sprint Goal. The Scrum Master is responsible for removing impediments.
Increment - A concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. The sum of all Product Backlog items Done during a Sprint and the Increments of previous Sprints.
Inspection - One of the three empirical pillars. Scrum artifacts’ progress toward agreed goals must be inspected frequently and diligently to detect potentially undesirable variances or problems.
INVEST - Acronym for good User Story characteristics: Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimatable, Small, Testable.
K
Kanban - A visual workflow management method that can be used alongside or instead of Scrum. Uses a continuous flow rather than time-boxed Sprints.
M
Must - A mandatory element that is required for proper Scrum implementation.
O
Openness - One of the five Scrum values. The Scrum Team and stakeholders agree to be open about all work and challenges.
Ordered List - A collection of related objects in which order matters and each object has a unique index (like the Product Backlog).
P
PBI (Product Backlog Item) - Any item in the Product Backlog, including features, bugs, technical work, and knowledge acquisition.
Pigs - (Informal) People who are accountable for the project’s success. They are committed and responsible for deliverables.
Planning Poker - A consensus-based estimation technique using cards to estimate relative effort of User Stories.
Product Backlog - An emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product. The single source of work for the Scrum Team.
Product Goal - Describes a future state of the product which can serve as a target for the Scrum Team to plan against. Only one Product Goal is active at a time.
Product Owner - The person accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. Owns the Product Backlog.
R
Ready - Product Backlog Items that can be Done in one Sprint are deemed ready for selection in Sprint Planning.
Refinement - See Backlog Refinement.
Release - Moving “Done” stories to production.
Release Backlog - Same as the Product Backlog. May involve one or more sprints dependent on the determined release date.
Release Plan - A rough schedule of iterations leading to a release.
Respect - One of the five Scrum values. Team members respect each other as capable, independent people.
Responsible - Carries out the activity day to day. May also be accountable for the activity.
Retrospective - See Sprint Retrospective.
S
Scrum - A lightweight framework that helps people, teams, and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems.
Scrum Master - The person accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide within the team and the organization. Facilitates Scrum implementation.
Scrum Team - A cohesive unit consisting of one Scrum Master, one Product Owner, and Developers. Typically 10 or fewer people.
Scrum Values - The five values that guide Scrum: Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage.
Self-managing - A team characteristic where the team internally decides who does what, when, and how. No sub-teams or hierarchies.
Self-organizing - A team that organizes itself to accomplish its work without being directed by others outside the team.
Servant Leader - A leadership style where the leader’s primary role is to serve the team. The Scrum Master is a servant leader.
Should - Recommended, but not mandatory. Optional in Scrum implementation.
SMART - Acronym for good requirements: Simple, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Traceable.
Sprint - A fixed-length event of one month or less where work is performed to achieve the Sprint Goal. The heartbeat of Scrum.
Sprint Backlog - A plan by and for the Developers containing the Sprint Goal (why), selected Product Backlog items (what), and an actionable plan (how).
Sprint Goal - The single objective for the Sprint, created during Sprint Planning.
Sprint Planning - The event that initiates the Sprint by laying out the work to be performed and determining the Sprint Goal.
Sprint Retrospective - The last event of the Sprint, held to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness in upcoming Sprints.
Sprint Review - An event held at the end of the Sprint to inspect the outcome with key stakeholders and determine future adaptations.
Stakeholder - People external to the Scrum Team with a specific interest in and knowledge of the product.
Story Points - A relative measure of complexity for a User Story. Usually scored on a scale like Fibonacci (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13).
T
Task - A unit of work within a User Story. Tasks should take no longer than 16 hours. If longer, the task should be broken down further.
Task Board - A visible board where the team tracks their tasks. Contains Sprint goals, backlog items, tasks in progress, and “Done” items.
TECH - Acronym for good Task characteristics: Time-boxed, Everybody (can pick it up), Complete, Human-readable.
Theme - A grouping of related User Stories or features.
Time-box - Maximum permitted time for an activity or event. Events can end earlier but never later.
Transparency - One of the three empirical pillars. The emergent process and work must be visible to those performing and receiving the work.
U
Usable - Able or fit to be used. It works!
User Story - A description of a small, valuable customer requirement. Format: “As a <role> I want <function> so that <desired result>”
V
Valuable - Useful or beneficial to stakeholders or customers.
Velocity - The rate at which a team converts Product Backlog items to “Done” in a single Sprint. An optional indication usually calculated in Story Points.
W
WIP (Work in Progress) Limit - In Kanban, a strict limit on how many items can be in a column at once. Ensures items move across the board in the shortest possible time.
Working Software - The primary measure of progress in Agile. Software that functions and provides value.
Quick Reference: Acronyms
| Acronym | Meaning |
|---|---|
| DoD | Definition of Done |
| PB | Product Backlog |
| PBI | Product Backlog Item |
| PO | Product Owner |
| ROI | Return on Investment |
| SB | Sprint Backlog |
| SM | Scrum Master |
| WIP | Work in Progress |
Quick Reference: The Three Pillars
| Pillar | Description |
|---|---|
| Transparency | Work and process visible to all |
| Inspection | Frequent checking of progress |
| Adaptation | Adjust when deviations occur |
Quick Reference: The Five Values
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| Commitment | Dedicated to team goals |
| Focus | Concentrate on Sprint work |
| Openness | Transparent about challenges |
| Respect | Value each team member |
| Courage | Do the right thing |
Quick Reference: Events & Timeboxes (4-week Sprint)
| Event | Duration | Participants |
|---|---|---|
| Sprint | 2-4 weeks | Everyone |
| Sprint Planning | 8 hours | Scrum Team |
| Daily Scrum | 15 minutes | Developers |
| Sprint Review | 4 hours | Team + Stakeholders |
| Sprint Retrospective | 3 hours | Scrum Team |
Quick Reference: Artifacts & Commitments
| Artifact | Owner | Commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Product Backlog | Product Owner | Product Goal |
| Sprint Backlog | Developers | Sprint Goal |
| Increment | Scrum Team | Definition of Done |
This glossary is compiled from the official Scrum Guide and various Scrum reference materials.