monorepo
Pronunciation: MON-oh-ree-poh
A single version-controlled repository that contains the source code for multiple related projects or packages managed together.
Full Definition
A monorepo (short for 'monolithic repository') consolidates multiple codebases—such as a frontend app, backend services, and shared libraries—into one repository, enabling coordinated versioning, easier cross-project refactoring, and unified CI/CD pipelines. It contrasts with a 'polyrepo' or 'multi-repo' strategy, where each project maintains its own repository. 'Monorepo' is written as one word, lowercase; do not hyphenate. Editors should not confuse monorepo with a 'monolith' (an architectural pattern), as the terms describe different concepts.
Usage
Usage note: One word, lowercase. Distinguish clearly from 'monolith' or 'monolithic architecture', which refers to application structure, not repository organisation.
In Context
- "Migrating to a monorepo allowed the platform team to share utility libraries across all services without versioning friction." — Engineering blog post
- "The editor added a clarifying note distinguishing the 'monorepo' strategy from the 'monolithic architecture' pattern, as readers had conflated the two." — Technical editing note