What does stateless mean?
Stateless describes something that does not retain or depend on information from previous interactions. The term is most familiar in computing, where a stateless protocol or application processes each request independently and does not keep information about earlier activity between operations. For example, a stateless web service may require a client to send all necessary information with every request rather than relying on a server-held session. The word comes from “state” plus “-less,” meaning “without state,” and its technical sense has become familiar through the spread of distributed and cloud-based systems. Outside computing, “stateless” can also characterize an argument, policy, or approach that is not based on changing personal or historical circumstances. Its opposite is “stateful,” which indicates that information is retained.
adjectiveNot having or requiring a record of previous transactions, interactions, or other retained data. In computing, a stateless system does not preserve information about earlier requests between individual operations.
- Not having or requiring retained information about previous transactions or interactions.
"The API is stateless, so each request must include all the information the server needs."
"The stateless design allows the service to handle requests across multiple servers."
"Her approach to the dispute was deliberately stateless, concentrating on the facts of the case rather than personal history."
A stateless service forgets each request after answering it, making every interaction independent of the one before it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stateless come from?
The adjective is formed from “state” and the suffix “-less.” “State” ultimately comes through Old French from Latin status, a form related to the Latin verb stare, “to stand.” Several familiar English words share this Latin foundation, including “status,” “statement,” “station,” and “statue.” The modern technical sense developed with the use of “state” in computing to mean stored information retained during a process.
Related word forms
How stateless is actually used
Most common in computing, especially in descriptions of protocols, applications, servers, and sessions. In general use, it can describe a process or argument that does not depend on a prior history.
Easily confused with stateless
A stateful system retains information from earlier interactions, whereas a stateless system does not.