Robert Steinbrunn
Is data singular or plural?: Usage Guide
Data leads a life of its own quite independent of datum, of which it was originally the plural. It occurs in two constructions: as a plural noun (like earnings), taking a plural verb and plural modifiers (such as these, many, a few) but not cardinal numbers, and serving as a referent for plural pronouns (such as they, them); and as an abstract mass noun (like information), taking a singular verb and singular modifiers (such as this, much, little), and being referred to by a singular pronoun (it). Both constructions are standard. The plural construction is more common in print, evidently because the house style of several publishers mandates it.
Synonyms
Examples of datum in a Sentence
Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
Bay Area News Group data journalist Harriet Blair Rowan and The Associated Press contributed to this story.
—Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
Harbinger Motors is backed by venture capital money, with $100 million funded to date and another $82 million expected to scale-up production, according to Harris and Crunchbase, which tracks funding data for startups.
—Pat Maio, Orange County Register, 16 Nov. 2024
An attacker could use the times and phone numbers of calls—the records that AT&T lost in a massive data breach uncovered in July—for a variety of impersonation and spoofing attacks.
—Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 16 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for datum 
Dictionary Entries Near datum
Cite this Entry
“Datum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/datum. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy Citation
Share