semantic versioning
Pronunciation: SEM-ver
A versioning scheme that encodes compatibility information in three numeric components: MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH.
Full Definition
Semantic versioning (SemVer) is a widely adopted specification for software version numbers formatted as MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH (e.g., 2.4.1). A MAJOR increment signals a breaking change, a MINOR increment adds backwards-compatible functionality, and a PATCH increment delivers backwards-compatible bug fixes. Editors must ensure version numbers in documentation are written with dots—not dashes or spaces—and that the correct component is incremented when describing a release. Abbreviating to 'SemVer' is acceptable after first use. Do not confuse with 'calendar versioning' (CalVer), which encodes release dates.
Usage
Usage note: Always use dotted notation (e.g., 1.2.3). 'v' prefix (v1.2.3) is common in Git tags but optional in prose—be consistent within a document.
In Context
- "Because this update introduces a breaking API change, the team incremented the MAJOR version from 2 to 3." — Release planning document
- "All packages in the monorepo follow semantic versioning to signal compatibility guarantees." — Developer governance policy