Memory Order

Definitions

1. A parameter on atomic operations (in C++, Rust, etc.) that specifies the strength of ordering guarantees: `relaxed` (no ordering), `acquire` (subsequent reads see prior writes), `release` (prior writes are visible to acquirers), `acq_rel` (both), or `seq_cst` (total global order). Weaker orders allow more hardware optimization.

   In plain English: A setting on atomic operations that controls how strictly the processor must preserve the order of memory reads and writes across threads.

   Example: "Use memory_order_release on the store and memory_order_acquire on the load — seq_cst is overkill for a simple flag."

Related Terms

• Memory Fence
• Memory Model
• Read-Copy-Update
• Resource Acquisition Is Initialization
• Stack Unwinding
• Transactional Memory
• Value Semantics
• Virtual Method Table
• Virtual Table
• Atomic Counter
• Atomic Reference