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Technical Vocabularynoun · /ˌɪnfrəˈstrʌktʃər əz koʊd/

infrastructure as code

In simple English

Infrastructure as code (IaC) is a fundamental DevOps practice where all infrastructure components such as servers, databases, networks, and storage are defined and managed through code. Instead of manually clicking through cloud consoles or running shell commands on machines, engineers write declarative or imperative code that describes the desired infrastructure state. This code is then committed to version control systems like Git, enabling collaboration, change tracking, and reproducibility. In modern tech companies, infrastructure as code is essential for maintaining consistent environments across development, staging, and production. Teams use tools like Terraform, Ansible, CloudFormation, or Kubernetes manifests to implement IaC strategies. This approach reduces human error, improves deployment speed, and makes it easier to scale infrastructure. When you use infrastructure as code, you can spin up entire environments in minutes, roll back changes if something goes wrong, and maintain clear documentation of your infrastructure setup. Infrastructure as code enables better collaboration between development and operations teams, speeds up disaster recovery, and allows you to treat infrastructure changes with the same rigor as code reviews and testing. Most companies adopting cloud-native architectures now consider infrastructure as code a best practice rather than optional.

Understanding what infrastructure as code is, why it matters, and how to implement it in cloud environments.

At a glanceCEFR C1
Commonness4/5
Versatility4/5
FormalityCasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticDirect
RegionUS and UK
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Say it like this

✓We are managing our infrastructure as code using Terraform
✓All our infrastructure as code is stored in the same Git repository
✓Infrastructure as code has dramatically reduced our deployment time

Real examples

in a standup

"Yesterday I finished converting our database configuration to infrastructure as code, so now we can version control it like any other code."

in a code review

"This pull request implements infrastructure as code for the new microservices cluster using Terraform."

in a team meeting

"Once we fully adopt infrastructure as code, we will be able to provision development environments on demand without manual setup."

Don't say this

Handle with care. Infrastructure as code is a methodology, not a tool. Do not confuse it with specific IaC tools like Terraform or CloudFormation. It refers to the practice, not the implementation.

✕We are using infrastructure as code as a tool.
✓We are using Terraform to implement infrastructure as code.— Infrastructure as code is a methodology or practice, not a specific tool. You implement it using tools.
✕Our infrastructure as code is stored only on the production server.
✓Our infrastructure as code is stored in a Git repository and deployed to production.— Infrastructure as code must be version controlled and stored separately from runtime infrastructure, typically in a repository.
✕Infrastructure as code means we never manually touch servers.
✓Infrastructure as code should be our primary way of managing infrastructure, with manual changes reserved for emergencies.— While the goal is to avoid manual changes, some teams may need occasional manual interventions during incidents or migrations.

Other forms

noun

infrastructure as code

"Infrastructure as code is now a requirement in our company standards."

noun

IaC

"Our IaC strategy uses Terraform and GitOps for continuous deployment."

Often used with

implement infrastructure as codeto put the practice into action in your organization
adopt infrastructure as codeto begin using the methodology across your team or company
manage with infrastructure as codeto handle infrastructure using code-based definitions
infrastructure as code toolssoftware that enables implementing infrastructure as code, like Terraform or Ansible
infrastructure as code repositorythe version control system where IaC files are stored

Similar words

IaCCommon abbreviation for infrastructure as code, used interchangeably in conversation
infrastructure automationBroader term that encompasses infrastructure as code but also includes other automation practices
configuration managementRelated but older term; infrastructure as code is the modern, code-centric approach to configuration management

Opposites

manual infrastructure managementmanual configurationclickopssnowflake servers

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Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Pick the most natural phrasing

1. Your manager asks how you will set up the new staging environment. What is the best response?

Complete the sentence

2. We store all our _______ in a Git repository so team members can review changes before deployment.

Spot the mistake

3. Which sentence uses infrastructure as code incorrectly?

Rewrite naturally

4. Rewrite this using infrastructure as code terminology: 'Instead of manually clicking buttons in the cloud console to create servers, we write code to describe what servers we need.'

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "infrastructure as code" in a standup this week?

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