---
title: "KYE Protocol™ — Dictionaries — canonical vocabulary"
description: "Dictionaries are versioned lists of canonical terms — definitions, categories, severities, control mappings"
url: https://kyeprotocol.com/dictionaries/
lang: en
source: "KYE Protocol"
---

> Dictionaries are versioned lists of canonical terms — definitions, categories, severities, control mappings

KYE Protocol™ · architecture

# KYE Protocol™ dictionaries — canonical vocabulary

Versioned lists of canonical terms. Rules cite them by code. Evidence packs print the customer-facing definition.

[Apply for pilot →](https://kyeprotocol.com/pilot-apply/) [Read the docs](https://kyeprotocol.com/docs/)

Plain Q&A

## Plain Q&A

Short questions. Short answers.

- **What is a dictionary?** A list of words. Each word has a code.
- **Why do we need one?** Rules cite codes. People read words.
- **Who makes them?** We do. You can too.
- **How do I use one?** Pick one. Cite the code in a rule.
- **What if I need a new word?** Add it. Sign it. Ship it.
- **Are they versioned?** Yes. Each word has a date.
- **Are they open?** Yes. The vocab is open. The codes are open.
- **Do they cost?** No. The vocab is free.

Plain take

## Plain take

A list of words. Each word has a code. Each code maps to a rule.

- Rules use the codes. Not the words.
- Evidence packs show the words. Not the codes.
- You add new words. The protocol checks them.
- Twelve sets today. More on the way.

## 17 canonical dictionaries

What it is. Why it matters. What to do next.

- **KYE™ Reason Code Dictionary™**. 18 reason codes emitted into Evidence Packs (authority\_expired, payment\_threshold\_approval\_required, model\_endpoint\_not\_verified, jurisdiction\_violation, …)
- **KYE™ Capability Dictionary™**. 14 capability terms (payment\_prepare, credit\_decision, aml\_investigation, clinical\_decision\_support, …)
- **KYE™ Tool Dictionary™**. 9 tool side-effect classes (read\_pii, money\_movement, kinetic\_effect, policy\_change, …)
- **KYE™ Taxonomy Dictionary™**. 12 metadata classes (entity\_class\_tenant, lifecycle\_state\_quarantined, trust\_domain\_apex, …)
- **KYE™ Ontology Dictionary™**. 7 canonical relationships (delegates\_to, accountable\_for, authorised\_by, …)
- **KYE™ Signals Dictionary™**. 8 runtime signals (authority\_signal\_expired, scope\_signal\_drift, purpose\_signal\_rejected, …)
- **KYE™ Telemetry Dictionary™**. 7 telemetry classes (gateway\_decision\_emitted, gateway\_latency\_p95, rule\_pack\_load\_failed, …)
- **KYE™ Pricing Dictionary™**. 9 billing meters (decision / evidence\_pack / replay\_proof / edge\_arbitration / scenario\_run / …)
- **KYE™ Graph Dictionary™**. 6 edge types (edge\_delegates\_to, edge\_owns, edge\_observes, …)
- **KYE™ Credentials Dictionary™**. 6 credential classes (oidc\_id\_token, verifiable\_credential, saml\_assertion, kye\_signed\_workload, …)
- **KYE™ Tenant Dictionary™**. 8 tenant terms (isolation\_strict, region\_eu\_west, billing\_mode\_pilot, …)
- **KYE™ Inference Dictionary™**. 8 inference terms (modality\_text, response\_kind\_structured, …)

[Browse dictionaries →](https://github.com/KYE-Protocol/app/tree/main/dictionaries)

## Companion surfaces

What it is. Why it matters. What to do next.

Inside KYE Protocol™ the layers are these: profiles define _is_; rule packs define _does_; dictionaries define _means_; manifests define _installable / verifiable / sellable_; engines execute; the [Rules Gateway™](https://kyeprotocol.com/rules-gateway/) enforces.

- [Profiles — the 10 canonical conformance modes](https://kyeprotocol.com/profiles/)
- [Rule packs — behavioural logic](https://kyeprotocol.com/rule-packs/)
- [Dictionaries — canonical vocabulary](https://kyeprotocol.com/dictionaries/)
- [Sector packs — sector bundles](https://kyeprotocol.com/sectors/)
- [Manifests — installable / verifiable units](https://kyeprotocol.com/manifests/)
- [Rules Gateway™ — runtime enforcement](https://kyeprotocol.com/rules-gateway/)

Canonical KYE™ surfaces referenced on this page: [Evidence Pack™](https://kyeprotocol.com/evidence-pack/) · [KYE™ Billing Meters](https://kyeprotocol.com/glossary/) · [KYE Protocol™](https://kyeprotocol.com/).