second-system effect

noun

The tendency of small, elegant, and successful systems to be succeeded by overengineered, bloated systems, due to inflated expectations and overconfidence.

Similar
second-system syndrome
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Meanings

nounsecond-system effect (plural second-system effects)

plural second-system effects

  1. The tendency of small, elegant, and successful systems to be succeeded by overengineered, bloated systems, due to inflated expectations and overconfidence.

    Synonyms: second-system syndrome

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe tendency of small, elegant, and successful systems to be succeeded by overengineered, bloated systems, due to inflated expectations and overconfidence.

Similar
second-system syndrome
Also see
second-system syndrome

Origin

Introduced by Fred Brooks in his book The Mythical Man-Month (1975).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

second-system effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/second-system%20effect

MLA

“second-system effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/second-system%20effect. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “second-system effect,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/second-system%20effect.

Source: second-system effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.