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

According to the most recent data on maternal mortality rates in Texas, women who died while pregnant, during labor and delivery, or in the year after giving birth increased in 2020 and 2021.

From Salon

So they did a gut check—they went hunting for excrement and vomit from the Polish Basin, a region of central Europe with an extensive record of fossil bones and paleoclimate data.

From Science Magazine

Such studies “made important points about the NIH’s funded research portfolio based on very careful analysis of the data,” says economist Donna Ginther of the University of Kansas.

From Science Magazine

According to the researchers, these data suggest that these animals could be a source of human hepatitis E infections in the metropolitan region.

From Science Daily

By combining genetic data with detailed brain measurements, the method offers doctors a more precise map of epileptic regions.

From Science Daily

Related Words

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