Glossary Refinement
Refinement
Also known as:
backlog refinement, groomingAgileScrum
Definition
The ongoing work of making the top of the backlog ready — splitting, clarifying, estimating and ordering items before a sprint starts
Also called grooming, a word most teams have dropped. Refinement is what keeps planning short: if the top of the backlog is refined, planning is choosing, not discovering.
The output of refinement is an item a team can start without a meeting: a clear outcome, acceptance criteria, an estimate, and no open question that blocks the first hour.