---
title: "CAP Theorem — Database Glossary | Xata"
description: "States that a distributed data store can guarantee at most two of three properties simultaneously: Consistency (every read returns the most recent write..."
source: "https://xata.io/glossary/cap-theorem"
---

# CAP Theorem

Core Database

States that a distributed data store can guarantee at most two of three properties simultaneously: Consistency (every read returns the most recent write), Availability (every request receives a response), Partition tolerance (the system continues operating despite network partitions). Formulated by Eric Brewer in 2000.

Related terms

[Partition Tolerance](/glossary/partition-tolerance)[Eventual Consistency](/glossary/eventual-consistency)

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