datum

noun da·tum \ ˈdā-təm , ˈda- , ˈdä- \

Updated on: 18 May 2018

Definition of datum

1 plural data play \-ə\ : something given or admitted especially as a basis for reasoning or inference

an important historical datum

This enormous expense—and considerable risk—to pick up a datum or two about geriatrics?
—Charles Krauthammer

2 plural datums, mathematics : something used as a basis for calculating or measuring

measuring the distance between datum points

… make things more efficient for those of us whose work requires a time datum.
—Robert Steinbrunn

See datum defined for English-language learners

See datum defined for kids

Is data singular or plural?

Data leads a life of its own quite independent of datum, of which it was originally the plural. It occurs in two constructions: as a plural noun (like earnings), taking a plural verb and plural modifiers (such as these, many, a few) but not cardinal numbers, and serving as a referent for plural pronouns (such as they, them); and as an abstract mass noun (like information), taking a singular verb and singular modifiers (such as this, much, little), and being referred to by a singular pronoun (it). Both constructions are standard. The plural construction is more common in print, evidently because the house style of several publishers mandates it.

Examples of datum in a Sentence

let's begin our discussion of this matter with a datum from actual experience

Recent Examples of datum from the Web

Moreover, our data show that Arab opposition to Israel is strongly linked to support of the Palestinian cause.

— dana el kurd, Washington Post, "On Israel’s 70th anniversary, what does the region think?," 15 May 2018
According to their data, Memorial Day hotels averaged $194, 37% higher than the average summer price and vacation rentals shot up 16% to $148.

— perri ormont blumberg, Southern Living, "Travel Site Names This Southern City One of the Best for a Budget-Friendly Getaway," 15 May 2018
If an app misled users in how their data was being used, it could be banned from Facebook.

— kate samuelson, Time, "Facebook Suspends 200 Apps Amidst Data Privacy Investigation. And More Could Be Coming," 14 May 2018
And though my data is all empirical and the sample size is small (1 mom), for twenty-eight years running my study has yielded the same conclusion: a handwritten note is the LeBron James of Mother’s Day gifts.

— clay skipper, GQ, "The Best Mother's Day Gift Is a Handwritten Note," 11 May 2018
An Associated Press review of the thousands of ads and their data shows how precisely — and sometimes randomly — the agency targeted them.

— mary clare jalonick, chicagotribune.com, "More than 3,500 Russian Facebook ads released by Congress," 10 May 2018
Instead, their data suggest the Namazga, a group of herders living south of the steppe around 3300 B.C.E., before the great Yamnaya migration, were the ones who contributed West Eurasian genes to Asian populations.

— michael price, Science | AAAS, "These Asian hunter-gatherers may have been the first people to domesticate horses," 9 May 2018
Specifically, the state cited JCPS for inaccuracies in its program data and its documentation of the programs' career pathways.

— mandy mclaren, The Courier-Journal, "State takeover of JCPS: What the audit says and the district has done," 7 May 2018
The basic reason for owning a VPN is to help defend against anyone online who's trying to steal or monetize your data.

— anna hecht, CNN Underscored, "What is a VPN and why should you buy one?," 7 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'datum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.