Lazy loading

 Lazy loading means the relationship is loaded when it is accessed.

$user = User::find(1);

$orders = $user->orders;

The orders query isn't executed until the relationship is accessed.

Advantage

It is convenient when the relationship isn't always needed.

Disadvantage

It can unintentionally create N+1 queries.

In performance-sensitive applications, I prefer explicitly deciding what relationships are needed:

User::with('orders')->find($id);

Laravel can also be configured to prevent accidental lazy loading during development, helping identify N+1 problems early.