software component
nounverified·updated Aug 30, 2026
A discrete, self-contained unit of executable code — such as a library, module, middleware, or framework — that provides a defined function or set of functions within a larger system. It is distinguished from the system as a whole by its bounded scope, its independently addressable identity (origin, version, license, known vulnerabilities), and its composability with other such units. In security, compliance, and supply-chain risk management, the field uses the expression to identify the tractable units that must be inventoried (e.g., in a Software Bill of Materials), assessed for provenance and vulnerability, and governed across the software development lifecycle.
Framework senses
- §1 · attested_usage_reviewer_confirmed
- No definition is given in NIST SP 800-171r3. The term is attested in use at 3 citations in that document; a definition is pending curation.Increment 2: attested in 800-171r3 without a glossary definition.
- §1 · web_lookup_draft
- A discrete, self-contained unit of executable code — such as a library, module, middleware, or framework — that provides a defined function or set of functions within a larger system. It is distinguished from the system as a whole by its bounded scope, its independently addressable identity (origin, version, license, known vulnerabilities), and its composability with other such units. In security, compliance, and supply-chain risk management, the field uses the expression to identify the tractable units that must be inventoried (e.g., in a Software Bill of Materials), assessed for provenance and vulnerability, and governed across the software development lifecycle.DR-088 backfill from the noun definition column