Glossary & Terminology

Why Terminology Matters

Inconsistent definitions are one of the biggest barriers to effective governance. When "data owner" means different things to different teams, policies become ambiguous and unenforceable. Dictiva's glossary system gives you a shared vocabulary that everyone can reference.

Two Glossary Layers

Dictiva provides two complementary glossary layers:

The library glossary provides professionally defined terms across all 32 governance domains. Your tenant glossary lets you add organization-specific terminology or override library definitions with language that matches your internal culture.

Term Structure

Each glossary term includes:

• Name — The term itself (e.g., "Data Steward")
• Definition — A clear, concise explanation
• Domain — The governance area the term belongs to
• Abbreviation — Optional shorthand (e.g., "DPO" for Data Protection Officer)
• Source — Where the definition originated (regulation, standard, or internal)

Browsing and Searching

Navigate to Glossary in the sidebar to access all terms.

Filtering

Use the domain filter pills at the top to narrow terms by governance area. The available domains match your domain selections — Enterprise plans see all 32 domains.

The search bar performs full-text search across term names, definitions, and abbreviations. Results update instantly as you type.

Sorting

Terms can be sorted by:

1. Alphabetical — Default, A-Z by term name
2. Domain — Grouped by governance area
3. Recently added — Newest terms first

Term Relationships

Glossary terms can reference each other to build a connected knowledge graph:

• Related terms — Terms that share conceptual overlap (e.g., "Data Owner" ↔ "Data Steward")
• Parent/child — Hierarchical relationships (e.g., "Risk" → "Operational Risk", "Financial Risk")
• Statement links — Terms linked to specific governance statements where they appear

These connections help users navigate from a term to its broader context within your governance program.

Adding Custom Terms

To add a term to your tenant glossary:

1. Navigate to Glossary and click Add Term
2. Enter the term name and definition
3. Assign a domain and optional abbreviation
4. Add relationships to existing terms if relevant
5. Click Save

Custom terms appear alongside library terms in search results and are available for reference across your workspace.

Next Steps

• Browse the library to see how terms connect to statements
• Explore domains to understand how terminology is organized by governance area
• Set up acknowledgments to ensure your team understands key terminology