data
HighFormal, Academic, Technical, Business; increasingly neutral.
Definition
Meaning
Factual information, especially measurements or statistics, collected for reference or analysis.
Any collection of facts, figures, or information, often in digital form, that can be processed or analysed to produce insight or knowledge.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Historically a plural noun, now widely used as a mass noun. The shift from plural to mass noun is nearly complete in general usage, especially in tech/business contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Traditionally, in UK formal/academic writing, 'data' was more often treated as a plural noun requiring a plural verb (e.g., 'the data are'). In US English, the mass noun singular usage ('the data is') has been dominant for longer and is now widespread in both regions.
Connotations
No significant difference in connotation. In both varieties, it carries the weight of factual, objective information.
Frequency
The word is extremely high-frequency in both regions due to the digital age. The singular verb construction is now more common globally, though the plural usage persists in some formal UK contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Data on [subject]Data from [source]Data for [purpose]Data that [clause]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Data-driven”
- “The data doesn't lie”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to quantitative or qualitative information about markets, customers, or performance used for decision-making (e.g., 'We need to review the sales data').
Academic
Refers to collected observations or measurements from research (e.g., 'The data supports the initial hypothesis').
Everyday
Often refers to personal digital information or mobile/internet usage (e.g., 'I've run out of mobile data').
Technical
Specifically structured information processed by a computer (e.g., 'The script exports the data to a CSV file').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The system is data-logging the temperature every minute.
- We need to data-mine these records for patterns.
American English
- The app can data-share with your fitness tracker.
- They data-matched the lists to find duplicates.
adjective
British English
- The data protection regulations are quite strict.
- We attended a data visualisation workshop.
American English
- We need a data recovery specialist.
- She works in data analytics.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I saved the data on my computer.
- The teacher wrote the data on the board.
- The survey collected data from over 100 people.
- We don't have enough data to make a decision.
- Analysing the financial data revealed a surprising trend.
- The research data is publicly available for download.
- The data gleaned from the satellite imagery was instrumental in mapping the region's geological features.
- Critics argue that the policy is not data-driven but ideologically motivated.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of DATA as DAy-TA: The information you collect day-to-day.
Conceptual Metaphor
Data is a resource / commodity. (e.g., 'data mining', 'data is the new oil').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating Russian 'данные' as always plural in English; 'data is' is usually acceptable. Do not confuse with 'date' (дата).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'datas' as a plural (incorrect; data is already plural in origin/uncountable).
- Misspelling as 'date'.
- Overusing in vague contexts where 'information' or 'details' would be more natural.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence demonstrates the most traditional/formal grammatical treatment of 'data'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In modern English, it is most commonly used as a singular mass noun (e.g., 'The data is clear'). Historically and in some formal/academic contexts, it is treated as a plural (e.g., 'The data are clear'). Both are acceptable, but singular usage is more prevalent.
'Data' typically refers to raw, unprocessed facts and figures. 'Information' is data that has been organised, processed, or interpreted to give it meaning and context. In casual use, they are often interchangeable.
No, 'datas' is not standard English. 'Data' is treated as an uncountable noun (like 'information' or 'water'). For countable references, use terms like 'data points', 'sets of data', or 'pieces of data'.
In British English, it's commonly /ˈdeɪ.tə/ (DAY-tuh). In American English, both /ˈdeɪ.t̬ə/ (DAY-duh) and /ˈdæ.t̬ə/ (DA-duh) are common. The first syllable rhyming with 'day' is the most internationally recognised.
Collections
Part of a collection
Science and Technology
B1 · 47 words · Basic scientific concepts and modern technology.
Science and Research
B2 · 43 words · Academic and scientific research methodology.