metadata

noun

meta·da·ta ˌme-tə-ˈdā-tə

-ˈda-,

also -ˈdä-

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

: data that provides information about other data

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How Metadata Was Formed

It's easy to find data on the source of "metadata": the word was formed by combining "data" with "meta-," which means "transcending" and is often used to describe a new but related discipline designed to deal critically with the original one. "Meta-" was first used in that way in "metaphysics" and has been extended to a number of other disciplines, giving us such words as "metapsychology" and "metamathematics." "Metadata" takes the "transcending" aspect a step further, applying it to the concept of pure information instead of a discipline. "Metadata" is a fairly new word (it appeared in the latter half of the 20th century), whereas "data" can be traced back to the middle of the 17th century.

Examples of metadata in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The detector reads this metadata to accurately flag DALL-E 3 images as fake. —

Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 7 May 2024 The outlet was told, and confirmed, using metadata, that the snaps were taken shortly before 7 p.m. local time. —

Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2024 Additionally, using the metadata panel's Edit-Only mode should speed up performance. —

PCMAG, 30 May 2024 Working from more than 1,500 RT articles published last year, the researchers looked for websites that featured similar content or metadata, limiting their search to results geolocated in the United States and Belgium, the European Union’s de facto capital. —

Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 30 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for metadata

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'metadata.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.