meta-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 {data

elements} 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)