What is a Business Glossary? Definition, Benefits & Implementation

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A professional-level summary covering key definitions, frameworks, and exam-relevant points.

Business Glossary vs Data Dictionary Comparison

Aspect	Business Glossary	Data Dictionary
Audience	Business users	Technical users (DBAs, developers)
Content	Business term definitions	Data element specifications (tables, columns, types)
Language	Business language	Technical language
Purpose	Common business vocabulary	Technical data documentation
Maintained by	Business stewards	Technical data stewards / DBAs
Examples	"Customer": a person who has made at least one purchase	CUSTOMER_ID: INT, NOT NULL, PRIMARY KEY

CDMP Exam Relevance

The business glossary is a key concept in the Metadata Management knowledge area (11% of the CDMP exam). Key exam topics include: the definition and purpose of a business glossary, the difference between a business glossary and a data dictionary, the role of data stewards in maintaining the business glossary, and the relationship between the business glossary and other metadata management artefacts (data catalog, data dictionary, data lineage). Business glossary questions also appear in the Data Governance knowledge area, as it is a core governance deliverable.

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