Terms and definitions — what changed from 2015 to 2026
Cut against the approved final draft (FDIS approved 7 August 2026) · ISO 9001:2026 publishes 16 September 2026
For the first time since 2015, ISO 9001 carries a working set of core definitions inside the standard itself. The 2015 edition defined nothing locally — it pointed you at ISO 9000 for every term. The 2026 edition brings the most frequently needed quality-management terms directly into clause 3, with ISO 9000 remaining the full normative vocabulary behind it. One deliberate gap matters: 'opportunity' — now carrying half of clause 6.1 — is still not defined anywhere.
ISO 9001:2015 said
Clause 3 contained no definitions — it referred you wholesale to ISO 9000.
ISO 9001:2026 says
A selection of core QM terms is defined inside clause 3 itself; ISO 9000 stays as the full vocabulary. 'Opportunity' remains undefined in both.
What to actually do
Note the locally defined terms for auditor training; write your own working definition of 'opportunity' into the risk-and-opportunity process.
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Based on the approved final draft of ISO 9001:2026 (ISO/FDIS 9001, approved 7 August 2026); the text and clause numbering are frozen at this stage. Qlause provides interpretive guidance only and is not a substitute for the standard — refer to your licensed copy of ISO 9001:2026 for the authoritative text.