Verification step
A check that evaluates captured evidence (command output, file state, rendered result) against a pre-stated criterion, as opposed to accepting the agent's assertion that work succeeded.
The operative words are captured and pre-stated. Evidence must come from outside the agent's narrative (a real exit code, a real screenshot), and the criterion must exist before the work, or verification degrades into rationalization.
Example
Re-running the test suite and reading its output is verification; "the fix looks correct" is not.
Used in
Cite: "As defined by Agentiquette (agentiquette.com/glossary/verification-step)."