Increment
A concrete, inspectable, usable stepping stone toward the Product Goal, created by adding to prior Increments and meeting the Definition of Done.
What it means
An Increment is additive: every one builds on those before it, and multiple Increments can be created within a single Sprint. Regardless of how many are produced, all of them are inspected together at the Sprint Review.
Work cannot be considered part of an Increment unless it meets the team's Definition of Done. This ensures that quality does not erode even when scope or timelines are under pressure.
Common mistakes
An Increment does not have to be released to users immediately; the Product Owner decides when and whether to release. What matters is that it is in a releasable state and usable.
Example
By the end of the Sprint, the team has an Increment that includes a working checkout flow, tested and deployable, even though it is released to customers a week later.