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

This metadata would follow the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity open standard, the same system Google and Adobe use. — Anisha Sircar, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

For non-text content, Anthropic will use the C2PA metadata approach to record provenance. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026

File metadata can disappear during format conversions, screenshots, or re-saving. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026

This also means images that were screenshotted, or recreated outside of Google’s platform would not include the same metadata from the original Nano Banana fabrication. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for metadata

• bhagavata
• capitata
• ciliata
• coronata
• oblongata
• odonata
• tathagata
• acuminata
• desiderata
• fasciculata
• microbiota
• agata

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