---
title: "What are transactions and ACID properties?"  
description: "What are transactions and ACID properties?"  
author: "Anubhav Sharma"  
published: 2026-05-14  
updated: 2026-06-05  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/116615/what-are-transactions-and-acid-properties  
category: "database"  
tags: ["database", "sql server"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# What are transactions and ACID properties?

## Answers

### Answer by Ravi Vishwakarma

A **[transaction](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/11670/transactions-and-injections-in-sqlite)** is a [sequence](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/160721/fibonacci-sequence) of [database operations](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/1159/datagridview-database-operations-in-c-sharp) that are executed as a single [unit of work](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/13071/generic-repository-pattern-with-unit-of-work-uow). A transaction either completes entirely (**commit**) or is completely undone (**rollback**).

### ACID Properties

- **A — Atomicity:** All operations in a transaction succeed or none of them do.
- **C — Consistency:** The database remains in a valid state before and after the transaction.
- **I — [Isolation](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/92818/what-is-the-difference-between-quarantine-and-isolation):** Concurrent [transactions](https://www.mindstick.com/interview/307/explain-acid-rule-of-thumb-for-transactions) do not interfere with each other.
- **D — Durability:** Once a transaction is [committed](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/290/zoos-prisons-for-beings-who-have-never-committed-a-crime), the changes are permanently stored even if the [system crashes](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/159267/what-are-the-common-causes-of-operating-system-crashes).

### Example

```plaintext
In a bank transfer:
Deduct ₹1000 from Account A.
Add ₹1000 to Account B.
```

If either step fails, the entire transaction is rolled back to prevent inconsistent data.

> **One-line [interview](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/329061/video-interviews-a-viable-tool-to-take-on-large-recruitments) answer:**\
> *"A transaction is a logical unit of work in a database, and ACID ensures transactions are [reliable](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/85570/affordable-and-reliable-limo-service-in-ny) through Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability."*


---

Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/116615/what-are-transactions-and-acid-properties

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