meta-data

data /me't*-day`t*/, or combinations of /may'-/ or

(Commonwealth) /mee'-/; /-dah`t*/ (Or "meta data") Data about

data. In data processing, meta-data is definitional data

that provides information about or documentation of other data

managed within an application or environment.

For example, meta-data would document data about dataelements or attributes, (name, size, data type, etc) and

data about records or data structures (length, fields,

columns, etc) and data about data (where it is located, how it

is associated, ownership, etc.). Meta-data may include

descriptive information about the context, quality and

condition, or characteristics of the data.

Not to be confused with Metadata.

(1997-04-06)