data

views updated

da·ta / ˈdatə; ˈdātə/ • n. [treated as sing. or pl.] facts and statistics collected for reference or analysis.See also datum. ∎  the quantities, characters, or symbols on which operations are performed by a computer, stored and transmitted in the form of electrical signals. ∎  Philos. things known or assumed as facts, making the basis of reasoning or calculation.

More From encyclopedia.com