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Definition of metadata

metadata

/ˈmɛtəˌdeɪtə/
met · a · da · ta
Plural:metadata
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metadata Lexical Profile

metadata Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A set of data that describes, explains, or gives administrative information about other data, such as the author, creation date, file size, or keywords of a digital document or image.

Example

"The digital photograph's metadata revealed the exact time and GPS coordinates where the picture was taken."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for metadata

Word Nuance & Usage

Like 'data', 'metadata' is usually treated as an uncountable mass noun taking a singular verb in modern English (e.g., 'the metadata is stored separately'), though plural verb agreement occasionally appears in technical writing.

• Nearby Words

metabolism
metabolize
metabolomic
metadata
metal
metalhead
metallic

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the late 1960s by computer scientist Philip Bagley, combining the Greek prefix 'meta-' (meaning 'beyond' or 'about') with 'data' (from Latin 'datum', meaning 'something given').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Metadata. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/metadata
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