data
Data, a plural noun, are representations of factual information without context, typically reduced to a form suitable for processing. When context is applied, data become information. When information is communicated or understood, it then becomes knowledge.
In law, statutes may define the term for specific purposes. For example, NYS Penal Law § 156.00 (Offenses Involving Computers) defines computer data as “property and a representation of information, knowledge, facts, concepts or instructions which are being processed, or have been processed in a computer and may be in any form, including magnetic storage media, punched cards, or stored internally in the memory of the computer.”
Although “data” is grammatically plural, in both legal and common usage it is often treated as a singular noun, particularly in statutes, regulations, and judicial opinions.
[Last reviewed in September of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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