What defines a memory leak in programming?

A memory leak occurs when a program allocates memory for its use but fails to release that memory when it is no longer needed. This typically happens when a program continues to hold references to the memory, preventing the memory management system from freeing it. Over time, as more memory is allocated without being released, the program can consume an increasing amount of memory, which may lead to performance issues or even cause the program to crash as the system runs out of memory resources.

Memory leaks are particularly problematic in long-running applications where the allocated memory could accumulate, leading to a gradual decline in performance. Proper management of memory allocation and deallocation is essential in programming, especially in languages that do not utilize automatic garbage collection. Understanding and identifying memory leaks is crucial for developers striving for efficient and reliable software.