The word data is the plural of datum, meaning a piece of information, or, "the givens". It is also commonly used as a mass noun, where it is treated as singular, e.g., "This is all the data from the experiment". Many consider this usage incorrect, or at least colloquial, and would prefer "These are all the data from the experiment" (each individual measurement or result from the experiment is a single datum). |
The word data is the plural of datum, meaning a piece of information, or, "the given". It is also commonly used as a mass noun, where it is treated as singular, e.g., "This is all the data from the experiment". Many consider this usage incorrect, or at least colloquial, and would prefer "These are all the data from the experiment" (each individual measurement or result from the experiment is a single datum). |
Data is also the name of an android character from the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. |
Data is also the name of an android character from the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. |