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 Nevertheless, law enforcement officials could use the company’s metadata in conjunction with other information to try to decipher a person’s identity, and anyone with connections to the shooter. — Reed Albergotti, Washington Post, 19 May 2022 Nevertheless, law enforcement officials could use the company’s metadata in conjunction with other information to try to decipher a person’s identity, and anyone with connections to the shooter. — Jon Swaine And Reed Albergotti, Anchorage Daily News, 19 May 2022 To quantify and characterize data collection risks, ACI would like to look at the metadata from Army service members devices. — Eric Tegler, Forbes, 24 Apr. 2022 The news release was authored by Friess, according to the metadata of a copy posted online that day by a TV news station in Michigan. — Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2022 The news release was authored by Friess, according to the metadata of a copy posted online that day by a TV news station in Michigan. — Jon Swaine, Emma Brown And Jacqueline Alemany, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Feb. 2022 Now that the emergence was over, Kritsky the next goal is getting photos and metadata from the app stored on a permanent storage system, so it can be accessed in the future. — Emily Deletter, The Enquirer, 3 Jan. 2022 Searched for any metadata left by front end interactions with our Dapp Detailed and mapped wallet addresses that could be considered ‘suspicious’ based on their interaction with our product. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 1 Dec. 2021 The metadata associated with the video file indicates that it may have been manipulated to add sound and other effects using Microsoft Game DVR, a piece of software that records clips from video games. — Craig Silverman, ProPublica, 8 Mar. 2022 See More

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