data

In general, data is information: factual information, such as text, numbers, sounds, and images-anything that can be processed on a computer. Data also represents concepts and sensations that are suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing. As futurist Marshall McLuhan said, "The electric light is pure information," meaning that everything perceptible is data. The word "data" is plural, and the singular form is "datum." However, data is often taken to be singular (as it is in this dictionary).