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Glossary · Nouns · C

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TermTypeDefinitionClassificationsUpdated
Criminal NegligencenounMWE(law) recklessly acting without reasonable caution and putting another person at risk of injury or death (or failing to do something with the same consequences)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Criminal OffencenounMWE(criminal law) an act punishable by lawverifiedMay 18, 2026
Criminal OffensenounMWE(criminal law) an act punishable by lawverifiedMay 18, 2026
Criminal PossessionnounMWE(law) possession for which criminal sanctions are provided because the property may not lawfully be possessed or may not be possessed under certain circumstancesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Criminal ProsecutionnounMWEthe institution and conduct of legal proceedings against a defendant for criminal behaviorverifiedMay 18, 2026
Criminal RecordnounMWEa list of crimes for which an accused person has been previously convictedverifiedMay 18, 2026
criminal records checknounMWEThe purpose of this task is to determine if a person has been convicted of a crime.ProcessRegulatedPIIMay 9, 2026
Criminal SuitnounMWEa lawsuit alleging violations of criminal law by the defendantverifiedMay 18, 2026
Criminalisationnounlegislation that makes something illegalverifiedMay 18, 2026
Criminalismnounthe state of being a criminalverifiedMay 18, 2026
Criminalitynounthe state of being a criminalverifiedMay 18, 2026
Criminalizationnounlegislation that makes something illegalverifiedMay 18, 2026
Criminalnessnounthe state of being a criminalverifiedMay 18, 2026
Criminologistnouna specialist in criminologyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Criminologynounthe scientific study of crime and criminal behavior and law enforcementverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crimpernouna mechanical device consisting of a cylindrical tube around which the hair is wound to curl itverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crimson ClovernounMWEsouthern European annual with spiky heads of crimson flowerverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cringlenounfastener consisting of a metal ring for lining a small hole to permit the attachment of cords or linesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crinionnounpoint where the hairline meets the midpoint of the foreheadverifiedMay 18, 2026
CrinklerootnounNorth American herb with pungent scaly or toothed rootsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crinolinenouna stiff coarse fabric used to stiffen hats or clothingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Criollonouna Spanish American of pure European stock (usually Spanish)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Crisisnouna crucial stage or turning point in the course of somethingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crisis InterventionnounMWEpsychotherapy that focuses on acute critical situations (depressive episodes or attempted suicides or drug overdoses) with the aim of restoring the person to the level of functioning before the crisisverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crisis managementnounMWEThe process of managing an institution's operations in response to an emergency or event that threatens business continuity. An institution's ability to communicate with employees, customers, and the media, using various communications devices and methods, is a key component of crisis management.ProcessMay 9, 2026
Crisis Management Test/ExercisenounMWEA testing exercise that validates the capabilities of crisis management teams to respond to specific events. Crisis management exercises typically test the call tree notification process with employees, vendors, and key clients. Escalation procedures and disaster declaration criteria may also be validated.ProcessInternalMay 12, 2026
Crisphead LettucenounMWElettuce with crisp tightly packed light-green leaves in a firm headverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crispinessnounfirm but easily brokenverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crispnessnounan expressive style that is direct and to the pointverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cristalnounstreet names for methylenedioxymethamphetamineverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cristobalitenouna white mineral consisting of silicaverifiedMay 18, 2026
criterionnounA principle or standard by which something may be judged or decided.RequirementMay 12, 2026
Criterion ValiditynounMWEcompares responses to future performance or to those obtained from other, more well-established surveys. Criterion validity is made up two subcategories: predictive and concurrent. Predictive validity refers to the extent to which a survey measure forecasts future performance. A graduate school entry examination that predicts who will do well in graduate school has predictive validity. Concurrent validity is demonstrated when two assessments agree or a new measure is compared favorably with one that is already considered valid.MetricMay 18, 2026
Crithnounthe weight of a liter of hydrogen (at 0 centigrade and 760 millimeters pressure)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Criticnouna person who is professionally engaged in the analysis and interpretation of works of artverifiedMay 18, 2026
Critical AnalysisnounMWEan appraisal based on careful analytical evaluationverifiedMay 18, 2026
Critical AnglenounMWEthe smallest angle of incidence for which light is totally reflectedverifiedMay 18, 2026
Critical AppraisalnounMWEan appraisal based on careful analytical evaluationverifiedMay 18, 2026
critical business functionnounMWEA process that is necessary for a business to perform.ProcessMay 9, 2026
critical business processnounMWEA business process that must be restored immediately after a disruption to ensure the affected firm's ability to protect its assets, meet its critical needs, and satisfy mandatory regulations and requirements.ProcessRegulatedMay 9, 2026
critical employeenounMWEAn employee whose skills and knowledge are vital to organization's operations.RoleMay 12, 2026
Critical Financial MarketsnounMWEFinancial markets whose operations are critical to the economy. Critical financial markets provide the means for financial institutions to adjust their cash and securities positions and those of their customers in order to manage liquidity, market, and other risks to their organizations. Critical financial markets also provide support for the provision of a wide range of financial services to businesses and consumers in the United States and support the implementation of monetary policy. Examples of "critical financial markets" include: • Federal funds, foreign exchange, and commercial paper; • U.S. Government and agency securities; and • Corporate debt and equity securities.SystemRegulatedMay 12, 2026
critical functionnounMWEBusiness activities or information that could not be interrupted or unavailable for several business days without significantly jeopardizing operation of the organization.CapabilityRestrictedMay 9, 2026
Critical infrastructurenounMWESystem and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the U.S. that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters. [Critical Infrastructures Protection Act of 2001, 42 U.S.C. 5195c(e)]SystemRegulatedCUIMay 9, 2026
Critical Market ParticipantsnounMWEParticipants in the financial markets that perform critical operations or provide critical services. Their inability to perform these operations or services could result in major disruptions in the financial system.OrganizationRegulatedMay 9, 2026
Critical MassnounMWEthe minimum mass of fissionable material that can sustain a chain reactionverifiedMay 18, 2026
critical operationsnounMWEAny activity, function, process, or service, the loss of which, for even a short period of time, would materially affect the continued operation of an FMI, its participants, the market it serves, and/or the broader financial system.ProcessRegulatedMay 9, 2026
Critical PathnounMWEThe critical path represents the business processes or systems that must receive the highest priority during the recovery phase.ProcessRegulatedMay 12, 2026
Critical PointnounMWEa crisis situation or point in time when a critical decision must be madeverifiedMay 18, 2026
Critical ReviewnounMWEan essay or article that gives a critical evaluation (as of a book or play)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Critical Security ParameternounMWESecurity-related information (e.g., secret and private cryptographic keys, and authentication data such as passwords and Personal Identification Numbers [PINs]) whose disclosure or modification can compromise the security of a cryptographic module.DataRestrictedCUIMay 9, 2026
critical servicenounMWEA service that could not be interrupted or unavailable for several business days without significantly jeopardizing operation of the organization.SystemRestrictedMay 12, 2026
critical systemnounMWEA system that is necessary and crucial to the organization.SystemRegulatedMay 9, 2026
Critical system (infrastructure)nounMWEThe systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, that are so vital that the incapacity or destruction of such may have a debilitating impact.SystemRegulatedMay 12, 2026
critical third partynounMWEA necessary third party that is vital to an organization's operations.OrganizationMay 12, 2026
criticalitynounA measure of the degree to which an organization depends on the information or information system for the success of a mission or of a business function.MetricMay 9, 2026
Criticality analysisnounMWEAn analysis to evaluate resources or business functions to identify their importance to the enterprise, and the impact if a function cannot be completed or a resource is not availableProcessMay 12, 2026
Criticality LevelnounMWERefers to the (consequences of) incorrect behavior of a system. The more serious the expected direct and indirect effects of incorrect behavior, the higher the criticality level.MetricMay 9, 2026
Criticalnessnouna state of critical urgencyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Criticismnoundisapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomingsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Critternouna regional term for `creature' (especially for domestic animals)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Critter SitternounMWEsomeone left in charge of pets while their owners are away from homeverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crixnounpersons who are professionally engaged in the analysis and interpretation of works of artverifiedMay 18, 2026
Croakernounthe lean flesh of a saltwater fish caught along Atlantic coast of southern U.S.verifiedMay 18, 2026
Croakingnouna harsh hoarse utterance (as of a frog)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Crochet HooknounMWEa needle with a hook on the endverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crochet NeedlenounMWEa needle with a hook on the endverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crochet StitchnounMWEany one of a number of stitches made by pulling a loop of yarn through another loop with a crochet needleverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crochetingnounneedlework done by interlocking looped stitches with a hooked needleverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crock PotnounMWEan electric cooker that maintains a relatively low temperatureverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crockerynountableware (eating and serving dishes) collectivelyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crocketnounan architectural ornament of curved foliage used at the edge of a spire or gableverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crocodilenounlarge voracious aquatic reptile having a long snout with massive jaws and sharp teeth and a body covered with bony platesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crocodile BirdnounMWEAfrican courser that feeds on insect parasites on crocodilesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crocodile TearsnounMWEa hypocritical display of sorrowverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crocodiliannounextant archosaurian reptileverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crocodilian ReptilenounMWEextant archosaurian reptileverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crocolitenouna rare lead chromite mineral that forms bright orange crystalsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crocusnounany of numerous low-growing plants of the genus Crocus having slender grasslike leaves and white or yellow or purple flowersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Croftnouna small farm worked by a crofterverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crofternounan owner or tenant of a small farm in Great BritainverifiedMay 18, 2026
Croissantnounvery rich flaky crescent-shaped rollverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cromlechnouna prehistoric megalithic tomb typically having two large upright stones and a capstoneverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cromornenouna Renaissance woodwind with a double reed and a curving tube (crooked horn)verifiedMay 18, 2026
CronnounCron is a Unix application that runs jobs for users and administrators at scheduled times of the day.ProcessMay 9, 2026
Cronenounan ugly evil-looking old womanverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cronynouna close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activitiesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cronyismnounfavoritism shown to friends and associates (as by appointing them to positions without regard for their qualifications)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Croo MonkeynounMWEmonkey of southeast Asia, Borneo and the PhilippinesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crookednessnounhaving or distinguished by crooks or curves or bends or anglesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crooknecknounyellow squash with a thin curved neck and somewhat warty skinverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crookneck SquashnounMWEyellow squash with a thin curved neck and somewhat warty skinverifiedMay 18, 2026
Croonernouna singer of popular balladsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crooningnounthe act of singing popular songs in a sentimental mannerverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crop FailurenounMWEthe failure of crops to produce a marketable surplusverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crop-Dustingnounthe dispersion of fungicides or insecticides or fertilizer on growing crops (often from a low-flying aircraft)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Croppernounsmall farmers and tenantsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Croquet BallnounMWEa wooden ball used in playing croquetverifiedMay 18, 2026
Croquet EquipmentnounMWEsports equipment used in playing croquetverifiedMay 18, 2026
Croquet MalletnounMWEa mallet used to strike the ball in croquetverifiedMay 18, 2026