dati

Dati is the Italian plural noun meaning data, facts, or information. It is used to refer to individual items of information or to a body of information collected for analysis. The term derives from Latin datum, meaning “something given,” and in Italian it appears as dato in the singular and dati in the plural. It is important to note that Italian also has the word data (feminine singular) meaning calendar date, whose plural is date; this is a different noun from dato/dati.

In usage, dati appears across science, statistics, journalism, and daily language. It can denote raw measurements, observations, or records that are analyzed or reported. Examples include “i dati mostrano una tendenza” (the data show a trend) and “set di dati” (data set). The phrase “dati personali” refers to personal data, a common term in privacy and data protection contexts, while “metadati” denotes metadata, data about data.

In information technology and research, the distinction between singular and plural forms is often maintained: un dato (a piece of information) versus i dati (the data). In formal and scientific writing, dati is typically treated as a plural noun with a plural verb. In everyday Italian, the usage of dati as a general noun for information is widespread, mirroring the English use of data as a mass noun or plural noun depending on context.

See also: datum, data, metadata, database, data protection.