PolicyDefinition

PolicyDefinition is a formal specification that describes the rules, constraints, and applicability of a policy within an information governance, security, or compliance domain. It serves as a template or blueprint that policy engines and decision systems reference to evaluate whether a given action or request should be allowed, denied, or require further checks.

Common elements include metadata (name, version, author, description), scope (which resources, subjects, actions, environments the policy covers), and the rule set (conditions, effects such as permit or deny, and any obligations or remediation actions). Policy definitions may specify required inputs, data attributes, and the evaluation logic or policy language used by the enforcing system. Representations are often in machine-readable formats such as JSON, YAML, or a domain-specific language.

A PolicyDefinition is distinct from a policy instance or policy rule that applies to a particular situation; the former is the reusable template, while the latter is an applied decision context. Policy engines or policy-as-code platforms load definitions and generate decisions when paired with concrete subjects, actions, resources, and environmental attributes. Versioning and provenance are important for change control and auditability.

Used across domains such as access control, data governance, cloud compliance, and automation of business rules, PolicyDefinitions undergo authoring, validation, publishing, and lifecycle management, including deprecation and retirement. Effective definitions are clear, testable, and maintainable, enabling consistent enforcement and easier policy governance.