DHS Lexicon Terms and Definitions

Instruction Manual 262-12-001-01

DHS Lexicon Terms and Definitions

2017 Edition ¨C Revision 2

Issue Date ¨C October 16, 2017

Management Directorate

Department of Homeland Security

This page intentionally blank

Prepared by:

DHS Lexicographer

DHS Lexicon Program

Office of the Under Secretary for Management

Management Directorate

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

lexicon@hq.

Version Table

No.

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Date

Description

Author

10/07/2008

12/16/2008

10/23/2009

01/26/2010

07/01/2010

07/14/2011

06/10/2013

10/01/2013

02/17/2014

04/23/2014

09/01/2015

05/13/2016

02/02/2017

05/26/2017

10/16/2017

First Release

Revision and update.

2009 Edition

2010 Edition

Revision and update

2011 Edition

2013 Edition

Revision and update

2014 Edition

Revision and update

2015 Edition

2016 Edition

2017 Edition

Revision and update 1

Revision and update 2

DHS Lexicographer

DHS Lexicographer

DHS Lexicographer

DHS Lexicographer

DHS Lexicographer

DHS Lexicographer

DHS Lexicographer

DHS Lexicographer

DHS Lexicographer

DHS Lexicographer

DHS Lexicographer

DHS Lexicographer

DHS Lexicographer

DHS Lexicographer

DHS Lexicographer

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1

2

3

4

5

6

Overview ...................................................................................................................... i

Structured Definitions................................................................................................... i

Use of Definitions ....................................................................................................... iii

Addition and Revision Instructions ............................................................................ iii

Terms and Definitions ................................................................................................. 1

Supplemental Information ....................................................................................... 722

DHS Lexicon

1 Overview

On March 31, 2004, the Department of Homeland Security¡¯s (DHS¡¯s) Homeland Security Advisory

Council (HSAC) Lexicon Working Group recommended to the DHS Secretary Tom Ridge that DHS

should create a Homeland Security Lexicon. HSAC believed that a lexicon was vital to DHS¡¯s success

and to the future of the United States, and recommended that DHS ¡°create, sustain, and promote the

Homeland Security Lexicon¡± so that all language associated with DHS¡¯s work would be as descriptive,

accurate, precise, and as widely understood as possible. In response, the Secretary created the DHS

Lexicon Program in June 2004.

The DHS Lexicon is a unified controlled vocabulary that DHS and its Components can use when

communicating and sharing data. We created this lexicon by combining and standardizing the different

vocabularies used by the Department. By providing a common definition for the terms we use every

day, the Lexicon reduces the possibility of misunderstandings when communicating across the

Department and helps DHS to develop and manage knowledge, information, and data. The DHS Lexicon

is the official source for terms and definitions supporting the Department and the homeland security

community.

2 Structured Definitions

We define terms within the DHS Lexicon using an easy to follow format to help users rapidly and

consistently understand the meaning of terminology used across Component¡¯s and all other areas of the

homeland security community, as well as by other government agencies and the general public.

Definitions for terms within the DHS Lexicon are required to:

?

Be in plain language and clearly defined;

?

Express only a single meaning; and

?

Not require additional interpretation.

Complete instructions on how we defined terms are available in the document Standardization of

Homeland Security Terminology and Definitions.

You may request this document by

emailing lexicon@hq..

2.1.1 Definition Fields

In Part 5 ¡°Terms and Definitions,¡± you will find the terms listed in a chart. The columns contain the

standard fields for expressing the meaning of any DHS Lexicon term.

They include the following:

Definition ¨C A statement of the meaning of a particular word or phrase. In its construction, a definition

will always state the main object or root meaning first, followed by appropriate modification if necessary.

Extended Definition ¨C If the term expresses a highly complex thought, a further explanatory statement

or more detail may be required. An extended definition provides this supplemental information without

2017 Edition ¨C Revision 2

i

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download