What it means
The term comes from Scrum, where work is organized into sprints of equal length that run back to back. Before a sprint starts, the team picks items from the backlog during sprint planning, and the scope stays stable until the sprint ends. A sprint is not the same as Scrum. Scrum is the framework, and the sprint is one repeating time box inside it.
Why it matters when you buy software
Project management tools often build their planning features around sprints, such as sprint boards, burndown charts and velocity reports. A buyer whose team plans in fixed cycles should check which plan tier includes these features before choosing a tool.
How it works in practice
A typical sprint runs from planning through daily progress checks to a review and a retrospective. The team tracks work on a board, and unfinished items return to the backlog or move into the next sprint. Tools mirror this flow with actions to start and close a sprint, which carry over incomplete tasks.
See also: Work breakdown structure, Agile and the glossary index.