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
Dan Hauck, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
The court saw metadata showing that a photo of her bruise was taken on Sept. 26, 2016.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 11 June 2025
After it was shown to the jury, Westmoreland showed the jury cellphone metadata revealing that the photograph was taken while Combs was on tour in September 2016, staying at a Manhattan hotel.
—Michael R. Sisak, Arkansas Online, 8 June 2025
The additional metadata essentially provide instructions on how the screen should display HDR content.
—PC Magazine, 8 June 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 18 Jun. 2025.
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