Meta is like other prefixes. It is an ancient Greek word which means “beyond,” “after,” or “behind.” The term, meaning “beyond”, is not frequently used by the people, but it is present in common words like metaphysics, meta-economy, etc.
The meaning of meta is best described by the formula “meta-X means X about X”. For example, if we add the prefix “meta” to the word “data”, then the word becomes “metadata” which means data about data. If we add meta to the word text, the word becomes metatext meaning, text about the text, metacognition is thinking about thinking, and metajoke is a joke about a joke. The term meta is used to denote something that is self-reflective or self-referencing.
In art, the self-referential meaning of meta appears to be popular. A book, in which a character is writing a book, or a movie in which a character is filming a movie can be considered example of meta art. When characters in a story act as though they are aware that they are in a story, this is known as meta-referencing. Metafiction is a type of fiction in which the author breaks conventions to indicate that the work is, in fact, fiction.
Meta can be used in two ways when it comes to gaming. It can either be used as an acronym for the “most effective tactics available” or can mean that it is an effective way to achieve the goal of the game. Achieving the goal can either mean beating the player or beating the game itself. Meta can also stand for metagame, which refers to the use of information about a game gained from outside the game or its rules in order to affect the game’s outcome or gain a competitive advantage.
FAQs
"Meta" is used to describe something self-referential (self-aware). For example, when somebody's making a movie about making a movie - that's meta. Or when you're writing a post on Facebook about being on Facebook, telling a joke about jokes, or reading a story about reading stories.
What does the answer meta mean? ›
Meta is like other prefixes. It is an ancient Greek word which means “beyond,” “after,” or “behind.” The term, meaning “beyond”, is not frequently used by the people, but it is present in common words like metaphysics, meta-economy, etc.
How to use meta in a sentence? ›
How to use the term meta. True to its history, meta can be prefixed (e.g., meta-definition). It can act as a simple modifier (e.g., He made a meta comment on Facebook). It's often used in the predicate, though, as in: that video was so meta.
What is the actual meaning of meta? ›
adjective. ˈme-tə 1. informal : showing or suggesting an explicit awareness of itself or oneself as a member of its category : cleverly self-referential.
Why is everyone using the word meta? ›
One of the more popular uses of meta today is for the meaning best described by the formula “meta-X equals X about X.” So, if we take the word “data” for our X, and add the prefix meta- to it, we get metadata, or “data about data.” A meta-text is a text about texts, metacognition is thinking about thinking, and a meta- ...
What are meta answers? ›
A meta-answer is best thought of as a "container" for an answer or answers. The meta-answer defines some basic properties of the answers within it, such as product and category assignments and common file attachments.
Does meta mean most effective? ›
Meta is an acronym for “most effective tactics available,” and calling something “meta” means that it's an effective way to achieve the goal of the game, whether it's to beat other players or beat the game itself.
What does meta mean in change words? ›
meta-, (sometimes before a vowel)met- prefix. indicating change, alteration, or alternation: metabolism, metamorphosis. (of an academic discipline, esp philosophy) concerned with the concepts and results of the named discipline: metamathematics, meta-ethics. occurring or situated behind or after.
What is an example of a meta? ›
It's often used in the predicate, though, as in that video was so meta. Examples of meta are often found in fine arts, with, say, paintings of paintings or photographs of photographers. Popular culture has also gone meta, with cartoons showing their self-awareness as cartoons of films mocking the tropes of film.
What makes something a meta? ›
Definition and explanation
Something is meta if it is self-referential: if it follows the scheme 'a thing about a thing'.
Meta tags are important because they impact how your site appears in the SERPs and how many people will be inclined to click through to your website. They will therefore impact your traffic and engagement rates, which can impact your SEO and rankings.
When someone says something is meta? ›
In its most basic use, meta- describes a subject in a way that transcends its original limits, considering the subject itself as an object of reflection.
What's another word for meta? ›
58 other terms for meta. postmodern. nonconformist. experimental. self-referential.
What does the word meta mean in vocabulary? ›
With that understanding of the prefix meta- in place, the meaning of "above, beyond" took hold, often referring to higher-order abstractions: metalanguage is language about language, meta-analysis is analysis about analysis, metatheory is theory about theory, and so forth.
What does the term meta was refer to? ›
Meta (from the Greek μετά, meta, meaning 'after' or 'beyond') is an adjective meaning 'more comprehensive' or 'transcending'.
What is meta in urban slang? ›
1. Meta means about the thing itself. It's seeing the thing from a higher perspective instead of from within the thing, like being self-aware.
What is an example of going meta? ›
Saying “that's so meta” means that things are highly abstract in this sort of self-referential way. So, for example, if you're having a conversation and you start having a conversation about having that type of conversation, that would be very meta.
