data

UK: /ˈdɑːtə/, /ˈdeɪtə/

US: /ˈdeɪtə, ˈdætə/

US: (dā′tə, dat′ə, dä′tə)

Inflections of 'data' (npl):

datum

n

data

n (The use of data as a singular mass noun, once considered incorrect, is now increasingly accepted in English.)

From datum (n):

datums

npl (For surveying senses only)

data

npl (All other usages)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

da•ta /ˈdeɪtə, ˈdætə/   n. 

1. [plural;
   used with a plural verb] a pl. of datum.
2. Pronouns individual facts, statistics, or items of information:
   [plural* used with a plural verb] Do your data support your conclusions?
3. Pronouns [noncount;
   used with a singular verb] a body or collection of facts;
   information: 
   The data is inconclusive.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

da•ta  (dā′tə, dat′ə, dä′tə), n. 

1. a pl. of datum. 
2. Pronouns (used with a pl. v.) individual facts, statistics, or items of information:
   These data represent the results of our analyses. Data are entered by terminal for immediate processing by the computer.
3. Pronouns (used with a sing. v.) a body of facts;
   information:
   Additional data is available from the president of the firm.

Usage

Data is a plural of datum, which is originally a Latin noun meaning "something given.'' Today, data is used in English both as a plural noun meaning "facts or pieces of information'' (These data are described more fully elsewhere) and as a singular mass noun meaning "information'':
Not much data is available on flood control in Brazil.
It is almost always treated as a plural in scientific and academic writing. In other types of writing it is either singular or plural. The singular datum meaning "a piece of information'' is now rare in all types of writing. In surveying and civil engineering, where datum has specialized senses, the plural form is datums.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

data / ˈdeɪtə ˈdɑːtə/ noun (functioning as singular or plural)

1. a series of observations, measurements, or facts; information
2. Also called: information the information operated on by a computer program

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin, literally: (things) given, from dare to giveUSAGE
Although data is now usually treated as a singular noun, it was originally a plural and is still treated as such in much scientific and technical writing

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

da•tum /ˈdeɪtəm, ˈdætəm/   n. [countable] , pl. da•ta 

/ˈdeɪtə, ˈdætə/.  
1. a single piece of information, as a fact, statistic, or code;
   an item of data.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

da•tum  (dā′təm, dat′əm, dä′təm), n., pl. da•ta (dā′tə, dat′ə, dä′tə) for 1–3, da•tums for 4, 5.

1. a single piece of information, as a fact, statistic, or code;
   an item of data.
2. Philosophy
   • any fact assumed to be a matter of direct observation.
   • any proposition assumed or given, from which conclusions may be drawn.
3. Philosophy Also called sense datum. [Epistemology.] the object of knowledge as presented to the mind. Cf. ideatum.
4. Surveying any level surface, line, or point used as a reference in measuring elevations.
5. Surveying a basis for horizontal control surveys, consisting of the longitude and latitude of a certain point, the azimuth of a certain line from this point, and two constants used in defining the terrestrial spheroid.

• Latin: a thing given, neuter past participle of dare to give
• 1640–50

Usage

See data. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

datum / ˈdeɪtəm ˈdɑːtəm/ noun ( -ta / -tə/)

1. a single piece of information; fact
2. a proposition taken for granted, often in order to construct some theoretical framework upon it; a given
   See also sense datum

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin: something given; see data