Key terms & definitions

A check of hazards, who could be harmed and the controls needed to reduce the risk of harm.

A structured comparison of the advantages and possible harms of an action, including who receives the benefits and who bears the risks.

A judgement that compares the advantages of an application with its possible harms.

Something that increases the likelihood of developing a disease, without necessarily making it inevitable.

Something associated with an increased probability of developing a disease.

A factor that changes the probability of an outcome without producing that outcome in every case.

A factor associated with an increased probability of an unwanted outcome, without necessarily producing that outcome in every case.

Something that increases the likelihood of developing a disease.

The process of identifying and assessing risks, choosing how to handle them, and monitoring whether the response works.

Action taken to reduce the likelihood or consequences of harm.

A person's judgement of how likely and serious a risk is, which may differ from an assessment based on scientific data.

A step taken to make harm less likely or to limit its effects while, where possible, retaining the benefits of an activity.

A willingness to commit resources or make decisions when the outcome is uncertain and there is a possibility of loss.

A ceremony marking an important stage or change in a person’s life, such as baptism, marriage or a funeral.

A repeated ceremonial action connected with religious beliefs, such as making an offering or sharing a sacred feast.

A religious action or ceremony performed in an established way to express beliefs and mark significant occasions.

A condition understood under religious purity rules to restrict participation in religious life or contact with others; it does not necessarily mean that a person has done something morally wrong.

Merton’s response in which an individual abandons conventional success goals but continues to follow approved rules and routines.

A commandment governing a person's relationship with God, including duties concerning worship and religious observance.

Being religiously clean according to Jewish law. Ritual uncleanness could restrict participation in worship and contact with others; it was not necessarily a result of moral wrongdoing.

A religious status under Jewish law that restricted participation in worship and community life; it did not necessarily imply wrongdoing.

Strong competition or hostility between opposing teams or their supporters.

The area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.

A steep bank on the outside of a meander, formed by erosion.

The volume of water passing a point in a river each second, usually measured in cubic metres per second.

The wearing away and removal of a river’s bed and banks. Hydraulic action is erosion by the force of water; abrasion is erosion by sediment scraping against the bed and banks.

An event in which river water overflows its channel onto surrounding land.

Water overflowing a river channel onto the surrounding land because the channel’s capacity has been exceeded.

The material carried by a river, including sediment and dissolved substances.

The pattern of variation in a river's discharge through the year.