Decoupled services refer to a software architecture approach where different components or services operate independently, allowing for greater flexibility and scalability. This design principle emphasizes the separation of concerns, enabling each service to be developed, deployed, and maintained without affecting others. By utilizing interfaces and APIs, decoupled services facilitate communication between components while minimizing direct dependencies. This architecture is particularly beneficial in microservices environments, where teams can work on individual services concurrently, leading to faster development cycles and easier updates. Overall, decoupled services enhance system resilience and adaptability in response to changing business needs.