Glossary Guidance on selected words used in the ISO 9000 family of standards

This document provides the appropriate meaning of selected words found in dictionaries used in ISO 9000:2015 and ISO 9001:2015 for the context in which they are used.

In addition to the defined concepts (with the terms and definitions) given in ISO 9000:2015 Clause 3 this document assists standards users, standards developers, and translators of the ISO 9000 family of standards by providing selected dictionary meanings for common words, which are used in ISO 9000:2015 and in ISO 9001:2015. If a common word is used at different locations in the text of a standard with different dictionary meanings, the relevant clauses are indicated.

Table of common words used in ISO 9000:2015 and in ISO 9001:2015
	Word (and clauses where it is used, if used in different dictionary meanings)		Meaning
1	ability	noun	being able
2	accordance (in accordance with)	noun	in a manner conforming with
3	action (see ISO 9000: A.5 fig. A.15)	noun	activity to achieve something
4	activity (see ISO 9000: A.5 fig. A.6)	noun	doing something
5	adequacy	noun	sufficiency
6	adjustment	noun	act of making something different
7	analysis	noun	detailed determination
8	appropriate	adjective	suitable (for, to)
9	applicable (requirement) ISO 9001: 0.1, 1 para 1 1a), 1 para 1 1b), 4.2, 5.1.2, 5.2.1, 6.2.1, 8.2.2, 8.2.3.1, 8.3.2, 8.4.2, A3 para 1 line 6	adjective	necessary to apply
10	applicable (as applicable) ISO 9000: Introduction, 1, 3.2.2; ISO 9001: 0.3.2, 1 para 2, 4.3, 7.2, 7.5.3.2, 8.2.3.2, 8.5.1, 10.2.1, A.3 para 1 line 5, A.5, Annex B	adjective	possible to apply
11	applicable (as applicable) ISO 9001: 8.6	adjective	when required
12	authority ISO 9000: 2.3.2.4, 2.3.4.4, 3.1.1, 3.1.5 (def), 3.3.3; ISO 9001: 4.4.1 e), 5.3, 8.3.2, A.1	noun	power to command or give a decision
13	authority ISO 9000:3.1.5 (term), 3.2.1, 3.6.7; ISO 9001: 8.6, 8.7.2	noun	person or body that has powers and rights
14	authority ISO 9001: 7.5.3.2	noun	permission to do something
15	available	adjective	able to be used or obtained

  

Table of common words used in ISO 9000:2015 and in ISO 9001:2015
	Word (and clauses where it is used, if used in different dictionary meanings)		Meaning
16	aware (to be aware, to make aware)	adverb/ verb	to have or to create knowledge or perception of a situation or fact
17	awareness	noun	knowledge or perception of a situation or fact
18	boundary	noun	Limit
19	calibration	noun	See VIM: 2007, Clause 2.39
20	can	verb	ISO/IEC Directives Part 2, 2016, Clause 7.5, Table 6 -   be able to -   there is a possibility of -   it is possible to
21	cannot	verb	ISO/IEC Directives Part 2, 2016, Clause 7.5, Table 6 -   be unable to -   there is no possibility of -   it is not possible to
22	commitment	noun	obligation and promise to do something
23	communication	noun	sharing or exchanging information
24	confirm	verb	establish as true
25	conform (to/with)	verb	fulfil
26	consistent (with)	adjective	conforming to or in agreement with
27	consistently	adverb	unchanging over time
28	control	noun	part of management focused on fulfilling requirements
29	control	verb	manage focusing on fulfilling requirements
30	define	verb	state or describe exactly
31	demonstrate	verb	show clearly
32	determine	verb	find out (one or more characteristics and their characteristic values)
33	distribution	noun	bringing objects to their destination
34	disposition	noun	defining what to do with an object
35	documentation	noun	set of documents
36	enhance/enhancement	verb/noun	improve/improvement
37	ensure	verb	make sure
38	essential ISO 9001: 0.3.1, 0.4, 7.1.5.2, 8.3.3, 8.3.5, Annex B	adjective	necessary
39	essential ISO 9000: 2.2.5.2, 2.3.3.1,2.3.5.2; ISO 9001: 0.3.3	adjective	important
40	essential characteristic ISO 9001: A.8	noun	character
41	establish ISO 9000: 2.3.3.1, 2.3.4.4, 2.3.5.4, 3.3.3, 3.3.4, 3.5.9, 3.6.3, 3.7.7, 3.10.7, 3.11.2	verb	define

Table of common words used in ISO 9000:2015 and in ISO 9001:2015
	Word (and clauses where it is used, if used in different dictionary meanings)		Meaning
42	establish ISO 9000: 2.3.2.4, 2.3.7.4, 3.2.7, 3.3.2, 3.3.5, 3.3.9, 3.4.2, 3.4.3, 3.5.3; ISO 9001: 0.3.2, 0.3.3, 4.3, 4.4.1, 5.1.1, 5.2.1, 6.2.1, 7.1.1, 8.1, 8.2.1, 8.3.1, 9.2.2, Annex B	verb	make
43	evaluate	verb	judge
44	expectation	noun	wish to be fulfilled
45	experience	verb	perceive
46	experience	noun	practice
47	facilitate	verb	make easier
48	focus	noun	centre of interest
49	framework ISO 9001: 0.4	noun	high level structure, identical core text, common terms and core definitions (ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1, Consolidated ISO supplement 2014, Annex SL, Appendix 2)
50	framework ISO 9000 intro, 2.4.2, 3.5.9; ISO 9001: 5.2.1	noun	set of principles
51	function ISO 9000: 2.2.1, 3.3.13, A.4	noun	purpose
52	function ISO 9000: 3.2.7	noun	resource
53	function ISO 9000: 2.3.2.3, 3.2.1, 3.2.9, 3.4.6, 3.5.3, 3.7.2; ISO 9001: 6.2.1	noun	organizational unit
54	functional	adjective	practical and for use
55	hardware	noun	See ISO 9000:2015 Clause 3.7.6 “product” especially Note 3
56	identify ISO 9000: 2.2.2, 2.2.4, 2.4.1.2, 2.4.2, 2.4.3, 3.13.2; ISO 9001: 0.3.2, 7.5.3.2, 8.3.6, 8.5.2 (para 2)	verb	find out
57	identify/identification ISO 9000: 3.3.11, 3.5.3; ISO 9001: 7.1.5.2, 7.5.2, 8.5.2 (title, para 1 & 3), 8.5.3, 8.5.4, 8.7.1, Annex B	verb/noun	mark or label
58	identify/identification ISO 9000: intro, 3.13.9, A.4; ISO 9001: 8.7.2	verb/noun	show
59	impartiality	noun	evenhandedness
60	implement/implementation	verb	put into effect or practice

Table of common words used in ISO 9000:2015 and in ISO 9001:2015
	Word (and clauses where it is used, if used in different dictionary meanings)		Meaning
61	integrity ISO 9000: 2.3.2.4	noun	moral soundness
62	integrity ISO 9001: 5.3, 6.3, 7.5.3.1	noun	wholeness
63	justification	noun	rationale
64	knowledge	noun	available collection of information being a justified belief and having a high certainty to be true
65	maintain	verb	enable to continue
66	maintenance	noun	enabling to continue
67	may	verb	ISO/IEC Directives Part 2, 2016, Clause 7.4, Table 5 -   is permitted -   is allowed -   is permissible
68	measurable	adjective	able to be measured
69	measure	verb	determine a value
70	monitor	verb	determine a status
71	necessary	adjective	needed
72	need	noun	necessity
73	opportunity	noun	chance
74	origin	noun	provenance
75	perception	noun	cognition
76	periodic	adjective	regular
77	person (see ISO 9000: A.5 fig. A.4)	noun	individual human
78	plan	verb	prearrange
79	preservation	noun	maintaining something in its original or existing state
80	property	noun	object owned by a person or organization
81	provide	verb	supply
82	relevant	adjective	related to and important to that which is being considered
83	responsibility/responsible	noun/ adjective	accountability/accountable
84	result	noun	output
85	retain	verb	keep
86	safeguard	verb	protect
87	scope	noun	area of application
88	sequence	noun	order
89	shall Note: “shall” is used 136 times in ISO 9001:2015	verb	ISO/IEC Directives Part 2, 2016, Clause 7.2, Table 3 -   is to -   is required to -   it is required that -   has to -   only … is permitted -   it is necessary

Table of common words used in ISO 9000:2015 and in ISO 9001:2015
	Word (and clauses where it is used, if used in different dictionary meanings)		Meaning
90	shall not	verb	ISO/IEC Directives Part 2, 2016, Clause 7.2, Table 3 -   is not allowed [permitted] [acceptable] [permissible] -   is required to be not -   is required that … be not -   is not to be
91	Should	verb	ISO/IEC Directives Part 2, 2016, Clause 7.3, Table 4 -   it is recommended that -   ought to
92	Software	noun	See ISO 9000:2015 Clause 3.7.6 “product” especially Note 3
93	Specific	adjective	particular
94	Specify	verb	define
95	Suitable	adjective	appropriate
96	Supply	verb	provide
97	Systematic	adjective	orderly
98	Unambiguous	adjective	clear
99	Validity	noun	state of being valid
100	Verify	verb	carry out verification (see ISO 9000:2015 Clause 3.8.12)