Build Dependency
Noun · Development
Definitions
A package or tool required to compile, generate, or package software but not necessarily needed at runtime in production. Build dependencies must be managed carefully because they affect reproducibility, CI stability, and the software supply chain even when they never ship with the app itself.
In plain English: A dependency needed to build the software, even if the final app does not use it while running.
Example: "The native addon kept failing in CI because the compiler toolchain build dependency was missing from the container image."