data

[ dey-tuh, dat-uh ]

noun

1. (usually used with a singular verb) Digital Technology. 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.

2. (used with a singular verb) a body of facts; information:

   Additional data is available from the president of the firm.

3. (used with a plural verb) individual facts, statistics, or items of information:

   These data represent the results of our analyses.

4. a plural of datum.

data

/ ˈdeɪtə; ˈdɑːtə /

plural noun

1. a series of observations, measurements, or facts; information
2. Also calledinformation computing the information operated on by a computer program

Usage Note

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.

Usage

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

Other Words From

• pre·da·ta noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of data¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of data¹

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

Example Sentences

To understand these associations on a cellular level, the researchers used air quality data collected by the Environmental Protection Agency to calculate study participants' average PM2.5 exposure.

From Science Daily

Deep neural networks are composed of many interconnected layers of nodes, or neurons, that operate on input data to produce an output.

From Science Daily

The team then attached much shorter physical wires between the tattoos to a small device that collects brainwave data.

From Science Daily

The author hopes for more studies and more data.

From Los Angeles Times

Climate-driven melting of snow and ice continues to swell many lakes in the Himalayas, increasing the risk of catastrophic flooding in downstream communities, new data show.

From Science Magazine

Related Words

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