Definition
A repeated execute, observe, compare, and correct cycle that withholds completion until an attempted result satisfies explicit evidence or acceptance criteria. A useful implementation separates the producer from the observation or grading step, records false alarms as well as caught defects, and limits retries when the same failure recurs.
Distinguish it from nearby terms
A grader emits a judgment, an oracle establishes truth for a defined property, and a verification gate enforces the admission decision. The verification loop connects those checks to another bounded attempt. Repeated self-critique without new evidence or an independent observation path is weaker than a verification loop.
Check your understanding
If the verifier rejects correct work too often, or the correction step can break correct work, another pass can reduce reliability instead of improving it.