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
Govinda Rao Banothu, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
The practices include guidance around production, post production, metadata systems usage, and controlling dynamic range.
—Ars Technica, 28 Feb. 2025
The demand reportedly came under the Investigatory Powers Act, which lets British law enforcement compel access to communications and metadata from tech companies in secret.
—Clare Duffy, CNN, 25 Feb. 2025
Boyd, who is signed to Roc Nation, claims the singers initially credited her in the release, as she was named a cowriter in the metadata.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 10 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Metadata.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metadata. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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