Data that describes other data, serving as an informative label.
"The file's metadata provided a clear description of its creation date and author without revealing the actual content inside."
In plain English: Metadata is extra information that describes other data, like how big a file is or who created it.
"The email program automatically added some metadata to the file that showed who sent it and when it was created."
Usage: Metadata acts like digital filing information attached to files or records to describe their content and origin. It is commonly used in technology contexts where users need to organize, search for, or manage large collections of media and documents efficiently.
The word metadata comes from combining the prefix meta- with data. It originally means "data about data."