metainformation

meta-data
metainformation

   <data> /me't*-day`t*/, or combinations of /may'-/ or
   (Commonwealth) /mee'-/; /-dah`t*/ (Or "meta data") Data about
   {data}.  In {data processing}, meta-data is definitional data
   that provides information about or documentation of other data
   managed within an application or environment.

   For example, meta-data would document data about {data
   elements} or {attributes}, (name, size, data type, etc) and
   data about {records} or {data structures} (length, fields,
   columns, etc) and data about data (where it is located, how it
   is associated, ownership, etc.).  Meta-data may include
   descriptive information about the context, quality and
   condition, or characteristics of the data.

   Not to be confused with {Metadata}.

   (1997-04-06)