metadata

IPA/ˈmetədeɪtə/
IPA/ˈmetədeɪtə/

metadata — noun

1. Details attached to a digital item — like a photo, document, or song — that expl

1.nounB2
Definition

Details attached to a digital item — like a photo, document, or song — that explain when, where, or by whom it was created, or what it contains, so that the item can be organised and found more easily.

Example

Every smartphone photo contains metadata — the date, time, and GPS location where it was shot.

collocation: contains metadata / metadata such as

The music app displays metadata like the artist's name, album title, and track number for each song.

subject: app displays metadata

Common collocations
  • contain metadata
  • extract metadata
  • check metadata
  • display metadata
  • store metadata
  • add metadata
  • view metadata
  • read metadata
Synonyms
  • tags

    more informal; often refers to user-generated keywords rather than structured technical descriptions

  • labels

    general term for categories assigned to files or data, usually chosen by the user

  • descriptors

    more formal, used in library or database cataloguing contexts

Usage Note

Metadata is the plural form of 'metadatum', but in modern usage it is almost always treated as an uncountable noun that takes a singular verb: 'The metadata shows…', not '…show…'.

Common Mistakes

The metadatas are stored in the database.
The metadata is stored in the database.
Metadata is already treated as uncountable; do not add a plural -s ending.

Word family

  • metadatum
    nounC2
  • data
    nounA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'metadata', 'tags', 'labels', 'descriptors', and 'annotations' all refer to information attached to a primary item, they differ in scope and context. 'Metadata' is the broadest technical term, covering any structured data about data — from a photo's camera settings to a book's catalogue record. 'Tags' and 'labels' are more informal and user-driven: you 'tag' a friend in a photo or 'label' a file as 'work' or 'personal'. 'Descriptors' are a subset of metadata that specifically describe content or subject matter, often in library or database settings. 'Annotations' are explanatory notes added by a human reader, usually for clarification rather than automated processing. For example, the metadata of a research article includes the author, publication date, and abstract; a reader might annotate the same article with margin notes, while a librarian might assign subject tags to it.

tags ↗labels ↗descriptors ↗annotations ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a piece of metadata
  • a set of metadata
  • metadata about [something]

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Coined in the 1960s from the Greek prefix 'meta-' (meaning 'beyond' or 'about') combined with the Latin word 'data' (meaning 'things given'). The idea was to name information that sits 'beyond' or 'about' ordinary data — a label for the data that describes other data.