domain-modeling

Place one CONTEXT.md or glossary.md file per bounded domain next to the code it governs, such as src/billing/CONTEXT.md. Each entry should include the term, a precise definition, NOT-this lines distinguishing it from neighboring terms, and one concrete example.

Terminology drift is when the same concept gets multiple names across code, docs, and conversation, or one word is reused for different concepts. It compounds silently into column names, API fields, and migrations that become expensive to reverse.

Run a drift check before introducing any term: is the concept already in the glossary under another name, is the word already defined meaning something else, and does the code use a different name for this concept. If any check matches, surface the conflict instead of silently renaming.

Use one glossary per bounded domain, not one global file. A term that means different things in two domains gets separate entries in each domain's folder, so billing terms live with billing code and load with that scope.

Skip it for purely mechanical work like formatting or file moves that introduces no new terms, and for throwaway scripts or spikes with no shared vocabulary at stake. The trigger is a shared concept, not project size.