In Salesforce, what does the term "child" refer to in a master-detail relationship?

In Salesforce, the term "child" in a master-detail relationship specifically refers to a dependent record that is directly tied to a "parent" record. In this relationship, the child record cannot exist independently; it is reliant on the parent record for its existence. This means that when the parent record is deleted, all associated child records are also automatically deleted. This cascading deletion reinforces the strong relationship between the two records, ensuring referential integrity within the data model.

This is a key characteristic of master-detail relationships in Salesforce, distinguishing them from other types of relationships, such as lookups, where the child can exist independently of its parent. Understanding this relationship is crucial for efficient data management and ensuring that the business logic applied to these records aligns with organizational requirements.