Definition

Information that provides details about other data, helping to describe or categorize it.

Example

The library uses metadata to organize its collection of books and articles.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of metadata in relation to photos?

Yeah, it's like the information that describes the image, right?

Exactly! It can tell you things like when and where the photo was taken.

That's pretty cool; I didn't know it could provide so much detail!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Metadata → It is formed from "meta-" (from Greek "μετά", meaning beyond or after) and "data" (from Latin "datum", meaning something given or a piece of information). The word "metadata" refers to data that provides information about other data, essentially meaning data about data.

Memory Tip

Think of 'meta-' meaning 'beyond' and 'data' meaning 'information' — so metadata is information that goes beyond just the data itself.

Visually Confused Words