Data: Meaning, Usage & Common Mistakes Explained

Meaning 1：facts and figures (data)

data 🔊

/ˈdeɪtə/, /ˈdætə/

facts or information, usually in the form of numbers or text, that a computer can store and process.

Data visualization on a laptop screen showing a bar chart and spreadsheet with numbers

facts and figures 🔊

➕

/fækts ænd ˈfɪɡəz/

Refers to raw, unprocessed facts and statistics collected for reference, analysis, or use by computers.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：Elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'datum' (plural 'data'), meaning 'something given'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of it as the digital snack your computer 'eats' to perform tasks. DAta = Digital AToms.

📖 Example

My fitness app collects a lot of data about my daily steps and heart rate. 🔊 My fitness app collects a lot of data about my daily steps and heart rate.

🔗 Collocations

raw data – information that has not been processed or analyzed

data analysis – the process of inspecting and modeling data to discover useful information

data protection – legal control over access to and use of data stored in computers

🔄 Synonyms

information (n.) – facts provided or learned about something, more general and often processed.

facts (n.) – things that are known or proved to be true.

statistics (n.) – numerical data collected and classified.

🚫 Antonyms

assumption (n.) – a thing that is accepted as true without proof.

🌱 Derivatives

database (n.) – a structured set of data held in a computer.

datable (adj.) – able to be assigned a date.

📖 Cultural Story

The word originates from Latin, where 'datum' was a neuter past participle of 'dare' (to give). Historically used in philosophy and science for 'facts given'. In modern culture, it is central to the 'Information Age', representing the raw material of the digital economy.