DadgogoAI Dictionary

Dictionary entry

context rot

noun \ˈkän-ˌtekst ˈrät\
TopicPrompting & Context First known use2025 Senses1
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Definition of context rot

  1. : the gradual decline in a model's accuracy and focus as its context window fills with more and more text, even before reaching the limit

    • After three hours, context rot set in and the agent forgot the original requirements.
    • Starting a fresh session is the simplest cure for context rot.

Origin & history

first known use2025

Popularized in 2025 by developers building long-running agents.

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Related terms

context window the maximum amount of text, measured in tokens, that a model can consider at one time… context engineering the practice of deciding exactly what information, instructions, tools, and history go into a… subagent an agent that a main agent creates or calls to handle one part of a task, usually with its own…

Cite this entry

"Context rot." AI Dictionary, Dadgogo, https://dadgogo.com/dictionary/context-rot/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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