metas

Metas is the plural form of meta, used across several domains to refer to things described as meta or to multiple instances of metadata. The term meta comes from the Greek meta- meaning beyond, after, or self-referential, and it has taken on several specialized senses in modern English.

In information science and digital contexts, meta typically refers to metadata—the data that describes other data. Examples include the author, creation date, file format, or data lineage associated with a document or dataset. When people speak of metas in this arena, they are usually referring to multiple metadata records or types of metadata associated with different objects.

In gaming and online culture, the metagame, or the meta, describes the set of strategies, characters, items, or tactics that are currently most effective within a game’s rules and patch environment. Metas can shift with updates, balance changes, or new content, and discussions about metas often center on how these shifts influence competitive play and community expectations. The plural metas can refer to distinct meta ecosystems across games, communities, or time periods.

In research and critical theory, meta- analyses or meta-studies synthesize results from multiple primary studies; colloquially, metas can be used to refer to several such analyses or to the practice of studying methods themselves.

Usage of metas varies by context and audience. While meta as a noun is common in many technical or academic settings, the plural metas is most often encountered in discussions of metadata collections, gaming strategy, or multiple meta-analyses.