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

Did you know?

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

Under the system, a participating company's digital camera could affix the image with metadata, while Adobe Photoshop could track any AI edits. —Jeff Wilser, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024

This metadata can easily be circumvented by those intentionally trying to do so, however. —Chris Welch, The Verge, 24 Oct. 2024

Many cameras and smartphones look at life through a single lens, but three dimensional depth maps can be created using information hidden in metadata of 2D photos (such as focal lengths and sensor info) or estimated using multiple images. —Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2024

To build it, the Internet Archive contracted the services of expert audio preservationist George Blood, whose team has digitized and uploaded (with detailed metadata) more than 400,000 recordings since 2017. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!