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surrogate key

/ˈsʌr.ə.ɡət kiː/ - n.

1 [colloq.] A number we invented so we would stop arguing about which real-world thing it points to. The argument moved one table over.Keep. Punchy.This is the problem.

Working definition

2. A system-generated identifier with no business meaning, used as a stable primary key independent of changing natural attributes.

Filed

See also

business keyThe identifier the business uses in conversation, which is to say a different one in each conversation.
keys and identityThe unanswered question of whether two rows are the same person, deferred until a regulator asks it for you.
natural keyA key the business swore was unique and permanent, right up until the merger, the typo, and the reissued account number.
slowly changing dimensionAn attribute the business called permanent in the requirements meeting and changed twice before launch.