datum

datum — noun

1. One individual item that contains a fact, number, or observation, usually belong

1.nounB2
Definition

One individual item that contains a fact, number, or observation, usually belonging to a larger collection of similar items.

Example

Before the meeting, the team examined each datum from the field study.

collocation: each datum

Karim noticed that a single datum in the results table was missing.

collocation: single datum

Common collocations
  • single datum
  • one datum
  • each datum
  • record a datum
  • datum point
  • missing datum
Synonyms
  • data point

    Far more common in modern usage across all registers; often preferred in statistics and data science

  • fact

    Broader meaning; does not imply the item belongs to a collection

  • figure

    Specifically numerical; common in business and scientific reports

Grammar Patterns

a ~ from [source]

~ + about [topic]

~ + in [dataset]

Usage Note

In modern English, the plural 'data' is far more common than the singular 'datum', especially in everyday contexts. 'Datum' is mostly used in formal or technical writing when the writer wants to emphasize that only one item is being discussed.

Common Mistakes

I found an interesting datum in the news this morning.
I found an interesting piece of data in the news this morning.
In everyday conversation, 'datum' sounds overly formal; use 'piece of data' or 'fact' instead.
These datum suggest a different answer.
These data suggest a different answer.
'Datum' is singular; use 'data' (or 'data points') when referring to multiple items.

2. A specific fact or measurement that people use as a foundation when they think a

2.nounB2
Definition

A specific fact or measurement that people use as a foundation when they think about a problem, do calculations, or carry out research.

Example

Using this datum as a starting point, Hassan calculated the total cost.

pattern: using [something] as a datum

The experiment provided a useful datum for the team to build on.

Common collocations
  • datum for calculation
  • use as a datum
  • reliable datum
  • starting datum
  • datum for comparison
  • datum in an experiment
Synonyms
  • reference point

    Emphasizes the role of the item as something to measure or compare against

  • given

    More philosophical or logical in tone; implies the fact is assumed as true for the sake of argument

  • starting data

    Specifically refers to the initial numbers or facts used in a calculation

Grammar Patterns

~ + for [purpose]

use [something] as a ~

~ + in + [field/domain]

Usage Note

This sense overlaps with sense 1, but the emphasis is on how the fact or measurement is USED as a foundation for further reasoning, rather than simply being a piece of information. Frequently appears in academic and technical writing.

Common Mistakes

The datum for our argument is based on old news reports.
The basis for our argument is old news reports.
Use 'basis' or 'foundation' when you mean the underlying support, not a specific fact within it.

Word family

  • data
    nounA2
  • dataset
    nounB1
  • database
    nounA2
  • data point
    noun phraseB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to a unit of information, but they differ in register, scope, and typical context. 'Datum' is the most formal and technical; it is the Latin singular of 'data' and appears mainly in academic or specialized writing when the writer stresses that only one item is meant. 'Data point' is the modern, everyday term for a single item in a dataset; it is common in business, statistics, and data science across all registers. 'Fact' is the broadest of the four and can refer to any piece of true information, whether it belongs to a collection or not. 'Figure' is narrower and always numerical, used mainly in financial, scientific, or statistical contexts. For example, a scientist might say 'this datum supports the hypothesis' (formal, singular emphasis), while a business analyst would say 'this data point indicates a sales trend' (natural modern usage).

datum ↗data pointfact ↗figure ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • use something as a datum
  • datum point

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word 'datum' was taken directly from Latin, where it is the neuter past participle of the verb 'dare' (to give). It literally means 'something that is given.' English borrowed it in the 1600s for use in mathematics and philosophy, where it referred to a fact or quantity that is 'given' or assumed before reasoning begins. The plural form 'data' gradually became far more frequent in general use, while 'datum' now survives mainly in formal and technical contexts.