The plain-English version
Accumulated design or implementation shortcomings that make future changes harder or more costly. The extra effort is often described as interest on the debt.
Why it matters
Record the concrete limitation and consequences instead of labeling every imperfection debt.
The docs behind it
Documentation links checked .
Editorial review · October 28, 2026
Corrected: Ordinary future feature work is not automatically technical debt; the metaphor concerns additional change cost.