# Unbounded Memory Growth

> Accumulating state without bound so memory usage grows until the process exhausts it.

Record: `lexicon:unbounded-memory-growth`
Kind: anti-pattern
Layer: [Performance Core](https://banes-lab.com/records/layer/performance-core.md)
Canonical: https://banes-lab.com/ontology/lexicon#lexicon-unbounded-memory-growth

Listed in [Lexicon terms](https://banes-lab.com/api/records/lexicon.md), after [Unbounded Access](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/unbounded-access.md) and before [Unbounded Runtime Growth](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/unbounded-runtime-growth.md).

## Category

- [Scalability / Performance / Optimization](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon-category/scalability-performance-optimization.md)

## Negated by

- [Space Complexity](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/space-complexity.md)

## Linked from

- [Scalability / Performance / Optimization](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/principles/architecture-category-scalability-performance-optimization.md)