37 CFR 204.2 – Definitions
For purposes of this part:
(a) The term individual means a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence;
(b) The term maintain includes maintain, collect, use, or disseminate;
(c) The term record means any item, collection, or grouping of information about an individual that is maintained by an agency, including, but not limited to, his education, financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history, and that contains his or her name, or the identifying number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the individual, such as a finger or voice print or a photograph;
(d) The term system of records means a group of any records under the control of any agency from which information is retrieved by the name of the individual; and
(e) The term routine use means, with respect to the disclosure of a record, the use of such record for a purpose which is compatible with the purpose for which it was collected.