type safety
compound.compound. a feature in computer programming that prevents errors by making sure data is used correctly. It stops a program from trying to do things that do not make sense, like adding a word to a number.
compound. the extent to which a programming language discourages or prevents type errors. It ensures that operations are only performed on data of the appropriate category, typically enforced through static or dynamic checks.
Good type safety helps developers catch bugs before the code runs.
The team switched to a language with stronger type safety to reduce the number of runtime crashes in their application.
While dynamic languages offer flexibility, many large-scale engineering projects prefer the rigorous type safety of static systems to maintain internal consistency across complex codebases.
A compound formed from the noun type, in its computational sense of a data category, and safety. The term emerged in the late 1970s within the field of computer science to describe the enforcement of constraints on data operations.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Commonly used in the context of software development and computer science.
Last updated July 22, 2026