adj · name · noun · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈmɛtə/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈmɛtə/
General-American:[ˈmɛɾə]
rhymes with -ɛtə
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈmiːtə/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈmiːtə/
General-American:[ˈmiːɾə]
rhymes with -iːtə
CMU ARPABET:M IY1 T AH0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Self-referential; structured analogously (structured by relationships), but at a higher level.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
Examples
Suppose you have a genie that grants you three wishes. If you wish for infinite wishes, that is a meta wish.
Suppose you have a homework task where you need to edit a wiki page and upload a screenshot of this entry underneath the word meta as an example of what meta is.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Prominent in the metagame; effective and frequently used in competitive gameplay.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: video-games
Examples
I don't think the character will be meta even with the recent buffs.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
name
Meaning 3
Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly Facebook, Inc. (until late 2021): an American multinational technology conglomerate holding company that is the parent organization of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, among other subsidiaries.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
name
Meaning 4
Meta, a biomedical research discovery tool.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
name
Meaning 5
A city in Osage County, Missouri.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
Clipping of metagame.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
Topics: video-games
Examples
I don't think the character will be part of the meta even with the recent buffs.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
Clipping of metagame.
An informal but widely adopted practice in a given field; a de facto standard.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Internet, broadly, countable
Topics: video-games
Examples
Each video sharing platform's community has a meta on how long videos should be.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
Clipping of metaoidioplasty.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
Clipping of metamour.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
Clipping of metanalysis: metanalysis or metacommentary focused on media, fandom, or related topics, typically presented as an essay or dialogue.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, slang
Topics: lifestyle
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
Boundary marker.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
noun
Meaning 12
Either of the conical columns at each end of an Ancient Roman circus.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology 1, adjective sense 1 is a back-formation from meta- (prefix). Etymology 1, adjective sense 2 is derived from noun etymology 1, noun sense 1. The noun senses are clippings of various terms beginning with meta (prefix). Folk etymology for noun etymology 1, noun sense 1 also suggests an acronym for most effective/efficient tactic available.
The technology conglomerate is named for its connotative evocation of the idea of the metaverse, the research tool after metascience.
Named after Meta Schreifer, the sister of a railroad official, from German Meta.
From Latin mēta.
Across languages
Translations
3 source translations are retained for this English entry.
