Concept / Term · Foundational

Main / Master

The primary branch

What does Main / Master mean?

The branch holding the definitive, current version of the code. 'main' is the default name on new projects, having replaced 'master' from 2020 onwards as an inclusive-language change, so older repositories may still use 'master'.

Category: Version Control & Collaboration
Maturity: Foundational
Last reviewed: 2026-08-30

Keep exploring

RepositoryA project's home: all its code, files and complete change history kept together in one place.
GitThe most widely used tool for tracking every change to code and letting a team work on it without overwriting each other.
GitHubThe most popular website for storing Git repositories online and collaborating on them. GitLab, Bitbucket and Azure DevOps are the main alternatives.
CommitA snapshot of your changes with a short message describing them. The basic unit of progress in Git.
BranchA separate copy of the code where you can build a feature or fix without disturbing the main version.
MergeBringing the changes from one branch into another.
Pull Request (PR)A proposal to merge your branch, opened so others can review and approve the changes before they join the main code.
CloneMaking a local copy of an online repository onto your own machine so you can work on it.

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