undocumented change

[/ˌʌndɑːkjʊˈmɛntɪd tʃeɪndʒ/]
nounpl: undocumented changes
alteração não documentada
1. A modification or update made to software, a system, or a document without proper record-keeping, communication, or formal documentation
The undocumented change in the database schema caused the application to crash unexpectedly.
A alteração não documentada no esquema do banco de dados causou a queda inesperada da aplicação.
2. Any alteration to code, configuration, or procedures that lacks corresponding entries in change logs, wikis, or official records
During the audit, we discovered several undocumented changes made by departing team members.
Durante a auditoria, descobrimos várias alterações não documentadas feitas por membros da equipe que saíram.
This term is primarily used in software development, IT operations, and business process management contexts in both American and Brazilian corporate environments. In Brazil, undocumented changes are often a compliance risk in regulated industries and are a common cause of technical debt. The phrase reflects the importance of governance and documentation standards in modern software engineering practices across both English-speaking and Portuguese-speaking technical communities.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
undocumented modificationundocumented updateunrecorded changeinformal changead hoc change
Antonyms / Antônimos
documented changeapproved changerecorded modificationtracked update

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
alteração não documentada
Most common term in Brazilian Portuguese technical documentation
São Paulo
mudança não documentada
Alternative form commonly used in corporate environments
Rio de Janeiro
alteração não registrada
Emphasis on lack of registration rather than documentation
Portugal
alteração não documentada / mudança não documentada
Both forms are used; emphasis on formal compliance in European standards

Related Words

change managementversion controldocumentationaudit trailchange logsoftware maintenancetechnical debt

Related Idioms & Phrases

flying blind with undocumented changes
legacy of undocumented changes
audit nightmare of undocumented changes
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →