metadata
noun
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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
Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Photos and video files often contain metadata such as timestamps and locations, and platforms also maintain additional logs.
—Nicole M. Bennett, The Conversation, 21 Jan. 2026
The metadata for the video contained GPS coordinates for the location where the video was recorded, Shackleford Park in Fort Worth.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Jan. 2026
The result was Letterboxd years before Letterboxd existed, a place where users could not only discuss films but generate valuable metadata about them.
—Will Tavlin, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for metadata
Cite this Entry
“Metadata.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metadata. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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