ENGLISH
REFERENCE

data

n. C / U
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈdætə// UK //dˈeɪtɐ// da·ta Academic General-service

n. facts, numbers, or information that a computer can store and use. You often collect this to help you understand a situation or make a decision.

n. information, especially facts or numbers, collected to be examined and considered and used to help decision-making. Often refers specifically to information in a digital form that can be transmitted or processed.


SIMPLE

The computer is still processing the data.

CONTEXTUAL

Scientists collected data from the weather stations to predict the path of the storm.

COMPLEX

The research team spent months gathering qualitative data through interviews before beginning the statistical analysis required to validate their initial hypothesis.

Synonyms
Usage

In scientific and academic contexts, it is technically the plural of 'datum' and takes a plural verb; however, in general and computing contexts, it is almost always treated as uncountable and takes a singular verb.

Pitfall

The datas are correctThe data is correctIn modern English, 'data' is treated as an uncountable mass noun and does not take an 's' for the plural.

© 2026 English Reference