What is the purpose of a code review in software development?

Code review serves multiple purposes: it catches bugs and security issues before deployment, ensures consistent code quality and style, spreads knowledge across the team, and provides learning opportunities for junior developers. It is a fundamental quality assurance practice in modern software engineering.

How do you use 'code review' correctly in a work sentence?

Use it as a noun: 'Please submit your code for code review,' 'The code review took longer than expected,' or 'We perform code reviews on all pull requests.' Avoid using it as a verb directly; instead say 'perform a code review' or simply 'review the code.'

Is code review a formal or informal practice?

Code review is a formal, mandatory practice in most tech companies, though the tone of feedback can vary from casual to diplomatic depending on company culture. It is essential in professional settings and is often discussed in interviews and job descriptions.

What is the difference between 'code review' and 'pull request'?

A pull request (or merge request) is a request to merge code changes into the main branch. Code review is the process of examining those changes. Code review happens within or as a response to a pull request.

How long does a typical code review take?

Duration varies widely depending on code complexity, team size, and review thoroughness. A simple bug fix might take 15 minutes, while a major feature could require several hours of review across multiple reviewers. Most companies aim to complete reviews within 24 hours to avoid blocking development.

code review meaning in tech — Speak Tech English

Commonness	5/5
Versatility	4/5
Formality	CasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ Written	SpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ Diplomatic	DirectDiplomaticDirect
Region	US and UK

Say it like this

✓Can you do a code review on this pull request?

✓This code is ready for review.

✓We need to tighten up our code review process.

Real examples

in a standup meeting

"I finished the authentication module yesterday and submitted it for code review this morning."

in a Slack message

"Hey team, code review feedback shows we need to add better error handling here."

in a sprint planning meeting

"We should budget extra time for thorough code reviews on the database migration."

Don't say this

Handle with care. Do not use as a verb without a proper object. Say 'perform a code review' or 'review the code' rather than just 'code review it.'

✕I will code review your changes.

✓I will perform a code review of your changes. or I will review your code.— Code review is typically a noun. As a verb, use 'perform a code review' or simply 'review.'

✕The code review rejected my code.

✓The reviewer rejected my code during code review. or My code failed code review.— Code review is a process, not an agent. Reviewers make decisions, not the review itself.

✕We do code reviews every Monday.

✓We perform code reviews on an ongoing basis. or We do code reviews as needed.— Code reviews typically happen continuously as PRs are submitted, not on a fixed schedule.

Other forms

noun

code review

"The code review took two hours and revealed three critical bugs."

noun phrase

code review process

"Our code review process requires approval from at least two senior engineers."

verb phrase

perform/conduct/do a code review

"Can you conduct a code review of my pull request before Friday?"

Often used with

peer code reviewA code review conducted by colleagues at a similar level; emphasizes collaboration and knowledge sharing.

code review feedbackComments and suggestions given by reviewers during the code review process.

code review processThe established workflow and standards your team follows when reviewing code.

code review toolsSoftware platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket used to facilitate code reviews.

mandatory code reviewA requirement that all code must pass review before deployment.

Similar words

peer reviewBroader term used in many fields; code review is the tech-specific application.

code inspectionOlder, more formal term; less commonly used in modern agile environments.

pull request reviewMore specific; refers to reviewing code submitted as a pull request on GitHub or similar platforms.

Opposites

auto-mergedirect deployment

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Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Pick the most natural phrasing

1. Your colleague asks when your code will be ready. Which response is most natural?

It is ready for code review.It is code review ready.Code review is done on it.I code reviewed it already.

Complete the sentence

2. Before we deploy to production, every pull request must pass our strict _______.

Spot the mistake

3. Which sentence uses 'code review' incorrectly?

We use code review to catch bugs early.The code review process helps maintain our standards.I code reviewed your changes yesterday.Can you request a code review on this PR?

Rewrite naturally

4. Rewrite this in natural tech English using 'code review': 'Two people from the team need to look at the code and say if it is good before we put it on the server.'

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "code review" in a standup this week?

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