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Glossary · Nouns · P

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TermTypeDefinitionClassificationsUpdated
Private InstructornounMWEa person who gives private instruction (as in singing, acting, etc.)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Private InvestigatornounMWEsomeone who can be employed as a detective to collect informationverifiedMay 18, 2026
private keynounMWEA cryptographic key, used with a public key cryptographic algorithm, that is uniquely associated with an entity and is not made public. In an asymmetric (public) cryptosystem, the private key is associated with a public key. Depending on the algorithm, the private key may be used, for example, to: 1) Compute the corresponding public key, 2) Compute a digital signature that may be verified by the corresponding public key, 3) Decrypt keys that were encrypted by the corresponding public key, or 4) Compute a shared secret during a key-agreement transaction.CredentialMay 9, 2026
Private key infrastructure (PKI)nounMWEThe use of public key cryptography in which each customer has a key pair (e.g., a unique electronic value called a public key and a mathematically-related private key). The private key is used to encrypt (sign) a message that can only be decrypted by the cor-responding public key or to decrypt a message previously encrypted with the public key. The public key is used to decrypt a message previously encrypted (signed) using an individual's private key or to encrypt a message so that it can only be decrypted (read) using the intended recipient's private key.verifiedSep 1, 2026
Private label cardnounMWESee "Store Card".DataRegulatedPCIMay 9, 2026
Private LinenounMWEa telephone line serving a single subscriberverifiedMay 18, 2026
Private NuisancenounMWEa nuisance that interferes with your interest in and private use and enjoyment of your landverifiedMay 18, 2026
Private PartsnounMWEexternal sex organverifiedMay 18, 2026
Private PracticenounMWEthe practice of a profession independently and not as an employeeverifiedMay 18, 2026
Private PropertynounMWEmovable property (as distinguished from real estate)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Private RoadnounMWEa road leading up to a private houseverifiedMay 18, 2026
Private SchoolnounMWEa school established and controlled privately and supported by endowment and tuitionverifiedMay 18, 2026
Private Security ForcenounMWEa privately employed group hired to protect the security of a business or industryverifiedMay 18, 2026
Private TreatynounMWEa sale of property at a price agreed on by the seller and buyer without an intervening agencyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Privateernouna privately owned warship commissioned to prey on the commercial shipping or warships of an enemy nationverifiedMay 18, 2026
Privateersmannounan officer or crew member of a privateerverifiedMay 18, 2026
Privately Held CorporationnounMWEa corporation owned by a few peopleverifiedMay 18, 2026
Privatenessnounthe quality of being secluded from the presence or view of othersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Privationnounact of depriving someone of food or money or rightsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Privatisationnounchanging something from state to private ownership or controlverifiedMay 18, 2026
Privatizationnounchanging something from state to private ownership or controlverifiedMay 18, 2026
Privetnounany of various Old World shrubs having smooth entire leaves and terminal panicles of small white flowers followed by small black berriesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Privet AndromedanounMWEdeciduous much-branched shrub with dense downy panicles of small bell-shaped white flowersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Privet HedgenounMWEhedge of privet plantsverifiedMay 18, 2026
PrivilegenounA right granted to an individual, a program, or a process.CapabilityMay 9, 2026
Privilege Against Self IncriminationnounMWEthe civil right (guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution) to refuse to answer questions or otherwise give testimony against yourselfverifiedMay 18, 2026
Privilege ManagementnounMWEThe definition and management of policies and processes that define the ways in which the user is provided access rights to enterprise systems. It governs the management of the data that constitutes the user’s privileges and other attributes, including the storage, organization and access to information in directories.ProcessAug 30, 2026
Privilege of the FloornounMWEthe right to be admitted onto the floor of a legislative assembly while it is in sessionverifiedMay 18, 2026
Privileged accessnounMWEIndividuals with the ability to override system or application controls.CapabilityRestrictedMay 9, 2026
Privileged AccountnounMWEA system account with the authorizations of a privileged user.IdentityRestrictedAug 28, 2026
Privileged CommandnounMWEA human-initiated command executed on an information system involving the control, monitoring, or administration of the system including security functions and associated security-relevant information.ProcessRegulatedCUIAug 30, 2026
privileged functionnounMWEA category of system operation whose execution carries security- or integrity-relevant consequences that ordinary users are not authorized to trigger—such as disabling or altering security controls, establishing accounts, performing integrity checks, administering cryptographic key material, or circumventing detection mechanisms. NIST SP 800-53 enumerates canonical examples as "disabling, circumventing, or altering implemented security or privacy controls, establishing system accounts, performing system integrity checks, and administering cryptographic key management activities." The category typically encompasses control, monitoring, or administration of a system and its security measures. In practice, the field uses the term to anchor least-privilege and separation-of-duties controls: misuse of privileged functions—whether intentional or unintentional, by authorized insiders or external actors who have compromised accounts—is treated as a serious risk, and logging their execution is a primary mitigation.CapabilityRegulatedSep 1, 2026
Privileged ProcessnounMWEA computer process that is authorized (and, therefore, trusted) to perform security-relevant functions that ordinary processes are not authorized to perform.ProcessMay 9, 2026
Privileged Protected AttributenounMWEA value of a protected attribute indicating a group that has historically been at systematic advantage.DataRegulatedPIIAug 28, 2026
privileged usernounMWEA user who is authorized (and therefore, trusted) to perform security-relevant functions that ordinary users are not authorized to perform.GroupMay 9, 2026
privileged utility programnounMWESpecialized system software used to perform a particular function or system maintenance that requires the ability to bypass, modify, or disable the technical or operational system security controls.SystemRestrictedMay 9, 2026
Privy CouncilnounMWEan advisory council to a ruler (especially to the British Crown)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Privy PursenounMWEallowance for a monarch's personal expensesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Prize MoneynounMWEany money given as a prizeverifiedMay 18, 2026
Prize RingnounMWEa square ring where boxers fightverifiedMay 18, 2026
Prize WinnernounMWEthe winner of a lotteryverifiedMay 18, 2026
Prizefighternouna professional boxerverifiedMay 18, 2026
Pro-Choice FactionnounMWEthose who argue that the decision to have an induced abortion should be made by the motherverifiedMay 18, 2026
Pro-Life FactionnounMWEthose who argue that induced abortion is killing and should be prohibitedverifiedMay 18, 2026
Pro-Lifernounan advocate of full legal protection for embryos and fetusesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Proaccelerinnouna coagulation factorverifiedMay 18, 2026
Probabilismnouna Roman Catholic system of casuistry that when expert opinions differ an actor can follow any solidly probable opinion that he wishes even though some different opinion might be more probableverifiedMay 18, 2026
Probabilitynouna measure of how likely it is that some event will occurverifiedMay 18, 2026
Probability TheoristnounMWEa mathematician who specializes in probability theoryverifiedMay 18, 2026
Probability TheorynounMWEthe branch of applied mathematics that deals with probabilitiesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Probable CausenounMWE(law) evidence sufficient to warrant an arrest or search and seizureverifiedMay 18, 2026
Probate CourtnounMWEa court having jurisdiction over the probate of wills and the administration of estatesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Probate WillnounMWEa judicial certificate saying that a will is genuine and conferring on the executors the power to administer the estateverifiedMay 18, 2026
Probationnouna trial period during which your character and abilities are tested to see whether you are suitable for work or for membershipverifiedMay 18, 2026
Probation OfficernounMWEthe officer of the court who supervises probationersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Probationernouna nurse in training who is undergoing a trial periodverifiedMay 18, 2026
ProbenounA technique that attempts to access a system to learn something about the system.ThreatMay 9, 2026
Probenecidnouna uricosuric drug that reduces the level of uric acid in the bloodverifiedMay 18, 2026
Probioticnouna beneficial bacterium found in the intestinal tract of healthy mammalsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Probiotic BacteriumnounMWEa beneficial bacterium found in the intestinal tract of healthy mammalsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Probiotic FloranounMWEa beneficial bacterium found in the intestinal tract of healthy mammalsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Probiotic MicrofloranounMWEa beneficial bacterium found in the intestinal tract of healthy mammalsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Probitynouncomplete and confirmed integrityverifiedMay 18, 2026
problemnounAn underlying cause for one or more incidents.FindingMay 9, 2026
Problem SolvernounMWEa thinker who focuses on the problem as stated and tries to synthesize information and knowledge to achieve a solutionverifiedMay 18, 2026
Problem SolvingnounMWEthe area of cognitive psychology that studies the processes involved in solving problemsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Problem-Oriented LanguagenounMWEa language whose statements resemble terminology of the userverifiedMay 18, 2026
Proboscideannounmassive herbivorous mammals having tusks and a long trunkverifiedMay 18, 2026
Proboscidiannounmassive herbivorous mammals having tusks and a long trunkverifiedMay 18, 2026
Proboscisnounthe human nose (especially when it is large)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Proboscis FlowernounMWEannual of southern United States to Mexico having large whitish or yellowish flowers mottled with purple and a long curving beakverifiedMay 18, 2026
Proboscis MonkeynounMWEBorneo monkey having a long bulbous noseverifiedMay 18, 2026
Proboscis WormnounMWEsoft unsegmented marine worms that have a threadlike proboscis and the ability to stretch and contractverifiedMay 18, 2026
Procaine HydrochloridenounMWEprocaine administered as a hydrochloride (trade name Novocain)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Procarbazinenounan antineoplastic drug used to treat Hodgkin's diseaseverifiedMay 18, 2026
Procaryotenouna unicellular organism having cells lacking membrane-bound nucleiverifiedMay 18, 2026
procedurenounAn established or official method for implementing a policy or performing a task or operation which must be executed in the same manner in order to obtain the same results in the same circumstances.RequirementMay 9, 2026
Proceedingnoun(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invokedverifiedMay 18, 2026
Proceedsnounthe income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other propertyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Procellariiform SeabirdnounMWElarge long-winged bird with hooked bill and tubular nostrils that wanders the open seasverifiedMay 18, 2026
processnounA series of operations performed by a computer.ProcessMay 9, 2026
Process CheesenounMWEmade by blending several lots of cheeseverifiedMay 18, 2026
Process FlownounMWEThe defined representation of the overall progression of how a process is intended to be performed, including all exceptions.ProcessAug 28, 2026
Process of MonitionnounMWEa summons issued after the filing of a libel or claim directing all parties concerned to show cause why the judgment asked for should not be grantedverifiedMay 18, 2026
process or control frameworknounMWEA framework that contains a set of processes or controls, established by another party, that organizations are expected to implement in support of establishing an effective system of internal control. These frameworks are usually developed by an industry group, regulator, governmental entity, standard-setting body, or other organization (collectively referred to as sponsoring organizations ) to obtain information from organizations with which they do business about their processes and controls. The most common types of process or control frameworks relate to security and privacy.FrameworkAug 30, 2026
Process PrintingnounMWEa method of printing colored reproductions from halftone platesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Process-Servernounsomeone who personally delivers a process (a writ compelling attendance in court) or court papers to the defendantverifiedMay 18, 2026
Processed CheesenounMWEmade by blending several lots of cheeseverifiedMay 18, 2026
Processingnoun‘Processing’ means any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.ProcessMay 18, 2026
Processing EnvironmentnounMWEAny operation or set of operations performed on personal data, whether or not by automated meansProcessRegulatedAug 28, 2026
processing requirementnounMWEA condition that must be fulfilled in order for something to be processed.RequirementRegulatedMay 9, 2026
Processing TimenounMWEAny operation or set of operations performed on personal data, whether or not by automated meansProcessRegulatedPIISep 1, 2026
Processionnounthe group action of a collection of people or animals or vehicles moving ahead in more or less regular formationverifiedMay 18, 2026
Processional MarchnounMWEa march to be played for processionsverifiedMay 18, 2026
ProcessornounAn entity that provides data and information processing services to other legal persons, entities and organizations. A processor entity may be an application, platform, infrastructure, data storage (as a service) organization, or a private or public cloud-providing business entity.RoleMay 18, 2026
Processus CoronoideusnounMWEa sharp triangular process projecting from a boneverifiedMay 18, 2026
Prochlorperazinenounantipsychotic and antiemetic drug used to treat schizophrenia and to combat nausea and vomitingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Proclamationnounthe formal act of proclaimingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Proclivitynouna natural inclinationverifiedMay 18, 2026
Proconsulnouna provincial governor of consular rank in the Roman Republic and Roman EmpireverifiedMay 18, 2026