A defect life cycle outlines the journey a defect takes from being reported to being resolved. It varies by organization and project. Common states include:
New - A potential defect is reported but not yet validated.
Assigned - The defect is assigned to a development team to address but not yet resolved.
Closed - The final state where the defect is closed after being retested and verified as fixed.
Reopened - If the defect is not actually fixed, the QA team can reopen the defect.