microservice
n.n. a small, independent part of a larger computer program that does one specific job. Instead of building one giant app, developers connect many of these small services together.
n. an architectural approach to software development where an application is structured as a collection of small, loosely coupled, and independently deployable services. Each service typically handles a single business capability and communicates via lightweight protocols.
The company moved its website to a microservice architecture to improve speed.
By using a microservice for the payment system, the team could update the checkout process without affecting the rest of the app.
Adopting a microservice strategy allows engineering teams to scale individual components of a platform independently, though it introduces significant complexity in managing inter-service communication and data consistency.
Formed from the prefix micro-, derived from the Greek mikros meaning small, and the noun service. The term gained prominence following a 2011 workshop for software architects near Venice.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often used in the plural or as a modifier before another noun like 'architecture' or 'pattern'.
Last updated July 22, 2026