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Data

/ˈdeɪtə/

nounB1

Definition

Data means information collected from different sources to learn or make decisions. It can be numbers, words, measurements, or observations. People use data in science, business, and everyday life to understand things clearly.

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⚡ See It in Action

Pieces of information collected for study or analysis

  • •The scientist collected data from the experiment.
  • •Data shows that the temperature is rising.
  • •We use data to make better decisions.

Digital information stored in computers

  • •The computer saved all the data on the hard drive.
  • •Data can be transferred between devices.
  • •Protect your data with a strong password.

🧲 Make It Stick

  • ✓Think of "data" like "information" (A1 word), but often in a form that can be counted, measured, or organized
  • ✓Picture a spreadsheet full of numbers and words that tell a story about sales or weather
  • ✓It's the feeling when you find facts that help you solve a problem or answer a question
  • ✓Sounds like "day-tuh" → imagine a day full of little notes or facts collected carefully
  • ✓Think of detectives collecting clues (data) to understand what happened in a story
  • ✓NOT like "opinion" (a personal thought), data is factual information collected from real things
  • ✓NOT like "story" (a made-up or told event), data is raw information before it becomes a story
  • ✓NOT like "noise" (random sounds), data is organized and useful information

🔄 Try Other Words

  • •Information: facts or knowledge (Use when speaking generally about knowledge, not just collected facts)
  • •Facts: true details (Use when emphasizing truth or reality)
  • •Figures: numbers or statistics (Use when the data is mostly numbers)
  • •Records: stored data or documents (Use when referring to saved or written data)

🔍 Unboxing

  • •Word parts: "data" is plural form of Latin "datum" meaning "something given"
  • •Etymology: From Latin, used in English since the 1600s for something given or assumed as fact
  • •Historical development: Originally meant a fact or piece of information; now mostly means collected information for study or digital files
  • •Modern usage: Common in science, computing, and everyday language to mean collected facts, measurements, or digital information

💭 Reflect & Connect

•How do you use data in your daily life to make decisions or learn new things?
•Can data be wrong or misleading? How can you tell if data is good or bad?

Fill in the blanks with the correct word:

1.Scientists collect data ___ experiments to understand results better.
2.When making a report, it's important to use accurate data ___ avoid mistakes.
3.Data is different from opinion because it is based on ___ facts.
4.Computers store data ___ files, pictures, and videos.
5.You should protect your data ___ using strong passwords and backups.
6.Unlike stories, data is raw information that needs to be ___ to become useful.
7.If the data is only numbers, we often call it ___ or statistics.