DATA Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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data

[dey-tuh, dat-uh]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

(usually used with a singular verb)��information in digital format, as encoded text or numbers, or multimedia images, audio, or video.
The data was corrupted and can’t be retrieved.
Data is entered for immediate processing by the computer.
(used with a singular verb)��a body of facts; information.
Additional data is available from the president of the firm.
(used with a plural verb)��individual facts, statistics, or items of information.
These data represent the results of our analyses.
a plural of datum.

data

/ ˈdeɪtə, ˈdɑːtə /

plural noun

a series of observations, measurements, or facts; information
Also called: information.��computing the information operated on by a computer program

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Usage

Data is a plural of datum, which is originally a Latin noun meaning “something given.” Today, data is used in English both as a plural noun meaning “facts or pieces of information” ( These data are described more fully elsewhere ) and as a singular mass noun meaning “information” ( Not much data is available on flood control in Brazil ). It is usually treated as a plural in scientific and academic writing. In the digital or computer sense it is almost always treated as a mass noun and used with a singular verb. In other types of writing it is either singular or plural. The Latinate singular datum meaning “a piece of information” is now rare in all types of writing. In surveying and civil engineering, where datum has specialized senses, the plural form is datums.

Although now often used as a singular noun, data is properly a plural

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

predata noun

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of data¹

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin, plural of datum ( def. )

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of data¹

C17: from Latin, literally: (things) given, from dare to give

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

She testified that its homelessness data system was “smoke and mirrors” and that she had been instructed by her supervisor “to do whatever we can to make the mayor look good.”

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It’s not a spurious conclusion: Census data shows that the percentage of women aged 30–44 with no children is higher than it’s been since 1960.

From

Whilst most UK security guards work in shops and other businesses, his data does also signal a rise in the sort of residential work carried out by private firms, he says.

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In 2021, data from Granville County indicated that 21 percent of children under the age of 18 experienced food insecurity while the percentage of students who received free and reduced school meals remained unchanged.

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More than 15,000 people work in the area, according to data from a 2024 report from the Fashion District’s Business Improvement District.

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Related 51�Թ�s

dossier��
evidence��
goods��
info��
input��
knowledge��
picture��
statistics��
testimony��

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