What describes an architectural approach that breaks a large application into small services?

The term that best describes an architectural approach that breaks a large application into small, independent services is Microservice Architecture. This architectural style promotes the development of applications as a suite of small services, each running in its own process and communicating with lightweight mechanisms, often through APIs.

Microservices allow teams to develop, test, and deploy services independently, which can enhance scalability, flexibility, and resilience. This approach contrasts with a closely integrated monolithic architecture, where the entire application is built as a single unit. While Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) also involves the use of services, it tends to focus more on the interaction between larger, integrated systems, rather than the micro-level granularity promoted by microservices.

Distributed Architecture refers broadly to systems where components are located on different networked computers, but it does not emphasize the small, independently deployable services aspect inherent to Microservice Architecture. Hence, the emphasis on breaking down large applications into smaller, manageable pieces aligns directly with the characteristics of Microservice Architecture, making it the correct answer.