# leaky abstraction

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. An abstraction that undesirably exposes details and limitations of its underlying implementation.

## Etymology
Popularised in 2002 by software engineer Joel Spolsky.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/leaky-abstraction