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Cedar

By Updated

An open-source policy language for fine-grained authorization, used as a policy-as-code engine for runtime access decisions; a schema-typed, analysable alternative to OPA/Rego.

Developed in
ch. 06, Policy-as-code and gates
Chapters
ch. 04, The Stack · ch. 05, Patterns · ch. 06, The Role
Contrast with
OPA/Rego
Source
Defined by this Body of Knowledge: the section it is developed in is the source

Where it is used

2 chapters of the Body of Knowledge use the term. Each link opens the first section that does.

Cedar: mentions per chapter3 mentions of the term across 2 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterCross-referenced, not named04 The Stack: 1 mention04 The Stack105 Patterns006 The Role: 2 mentions06 The Role2No mentions in the other 20 chaptersSource: the Body of Knowledgev0.5.0
Cedar: mentions per chapter3 mentions of the term across 2 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterCross-referenced, not named0001020304 The Stack: 1 mention1040506 The Role: 2 mentions20607081011121314151617181920212223Source: the Body of Knowledge v0.5.0
Mentions per chapter How often each chapter names the term, with the chapters the glossary cross-references drawn solid. The longest bar is where to read the term in use; bars spread across many chapters mark a term that runs through the discipline.
Mentions as a table
Mentions of Cedar per chapter
ChapterMentionsCross-referenced
00 Preface0No
01 Definition0No
02 Why Now0No
03 Values & Principles0No
04 The Stack1Yes
05 Patterns0Yes
06 The Role2Yes
07 Maturity Model0No
08 Regulatory Map0No
10 Reading List0No
11 AI Defined0No
12 Governance Program0No
13 Risk Management0No
14 Development0No
15 Deployment0No
16 Fairness & XAI0No
17 Incidents0No
18 EU AI Act0No
19 Privacy & AI0No
20 Existing Law0No
21 AI Laws Worldwide0No
22 Principles & Standards0No
23 AI Agents0No

Patterns that use this term

One pattern page uses the term.

Cedar: related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedContrastColour: stack layer of the pattern01 Govern-as-CodeCedarRelated terms (2)Implicit deny · RelatedImplicit denyPolicy-as-code · RelatedPolicy-as-codeContrast with (1)OPA/Rego · ContrastOPA/RegoPatterns using it (1)Policy Card, 1 mention · Uses the termPolicy Card
Cedar: related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedContrastColour: stack layer of the pattern01 Govern-as-CodeRelated terms (2)Implicit deny · RelatedImplicit denyPolicy-as-code · RelatedPolicy-as-codeContrast with (1)OPA/Rego · ContrastOPA/RegoPatterns using it (1)Policy Card, 1 mention · Uses the termPolicy CardCedar
The term's neighbourhood Terms related to this one on solid edges, terms it is often confused with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer. Follow a dashed edge to check the distinction before you use either term.
Neighbourhood as a table
Neighbourhood of Cedar
FamilyItemRelation
Related termsImplicit denyRelated
Related termsPolicy-as-codeRelated
Contrast withOPA/RegoContrast
Patterns using itPolicy Card, 1 mentionUses the term
  • Policy-as-code

    Governance policy expressed in an executable policy language (OPA/Rego, Cedar) that evaluates in CI/CD and at admission; the narrower, pipeline subset of…

  • Implicit deny

    The authorisation rule that a request no policy explicitly permits is refused.

Sources

No external source: the term is coined or used in a specific sense by this Body of Knowledge, and the section linked under "Developed in" is its source.

Definitions of legal terms paraphrase the cited text, which governs. Dated statements are as of .

Cite this term

García Aibar, J. (2026). Cedar. In AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis & Body of Knowledge (v0.5.0), Glossary. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22956197. https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/cedar. CC BY 4.0

BibTeX

@misc{aige2026cedar,
  author  = {Jorge García Aibar},
  title   = {{Cedar}},
  note    = {Glossary, AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis \& Body of Knowledge, version 0.5.0},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.5281/zenodo.22956197},
  url     = {https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/cedar}
}