meta-

See also: meta, Meta, META, metá, méta, metà, mêta, and méta-

English

Alternative forms

• met- (prevocalic)

Etymology 1

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Ancient Greek μετα- (meta-), from μετά (metá), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Mycenaean Greek 𐀕𐀲 (me-ta), possibly from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Indo-European *meth₂ (“in the middle”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɛ.tə/

Prefix

meta-

1. (anatomy and zoology) Behind [From 19th century]
2. (botany and zoology) Later or subsequent [From 19th century]
3. (obsolete, architecture and zoology) Situated between two segments [From 19th century]
4. (chemistry) Having fewer molecules of water than the ortho- equivalent [From 19th century]
5. (organic chemistry) in isomeric benzene derivatives, having the two substituents in alternate (1,3) positions; contrasted with ortho- and para- [From 1833]

Translations

anatomy, zoology: behind

• Finnish: meta- (fi)
• French: méta- (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: μετα- (el) (meta-)
• Russian: ме́та- (ru) (méta-)

botany, zoology: later or subsequent

• Finnish: meta- (fi)
• Greek: μετα- (el) (meta-)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: ме́та- (ru) (méta-)

chemistry: having fewer molecules of water than the ortho- equivalent

• Finnish: meta- (fi)
• Greek: μετα- (el) (meta-)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: ме́та- (ru) (méta-)
• Spanish: meta- (es)

chemistry: contrasted with ortho- and para-

• Finnish: meta- (fi)
• French: méta- (fr)
• Greek: μετα- (el) (meta-)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: ме́та- (ru) (méta-)
• Spanish: meta- (es)

• Finnish: meta- (fi)
• German: ^{(please verify)} meta- (de)
• Icelandic: ^{(please verify)} lýsi-
• Irish: ^{(please verify)} meiti-
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} meta- (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: ^{(please verify)} 超 (ja) (ちょう, chō)
• Persian: ^{(please verify)} فرا (fa) (farâ), ^{(please verify)} متا (metâ)
• Polish: ^{(please verify)} meta- (pl)
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} meta- (ro)
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} meta- (es)

Etymology 2

Back-formation from metaphysics.

Prefix

meta-

1. Transcending, encompassing
2. Pertaining to a level above or beyond; reflexive; about itself or about other things of the same type. For example, metadata is data that describes data, metalanguage is language that describes language, etc. [From 17th century]
3. Having analogies with metaphysics.

Related terms

• epi-

Translations

transcending, encompassing

• Finnish: meta- (fi)
• French: méta- (fr)
• Greek: μετα- (el) (meta-)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hindi: अधि- (adhi-)
• Russian: ме́та- (ru) (méta-)

pertaining to a level above or beyond

• Czech: meta-
• Finnish: meta- (fi)
• French: méta- (fr)
• Greek: μετα- (el) (meta-)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hindi: अधि- (adhi-)
• Russian: ме́та- (ru) (méta-)
• Spanish: meta- (es)

having analogies with metaphysics

• Finnish: meta- (fi)
• French: méta- (fr)
• Greek: μετα- (el) (meta-)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: ме́та- (ru) (méta-)
• Spanish: meta- (es)

Etymology 3

Back-formation from metamorphism.

Prefix

meta-

1. (geology) Analogies and derivatives of metamorphism [From 19th century]

Translations

geology: analogies and derivatives of metamorphism

• Finnish: meta- (fi)
• French: méta- (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: ме́та- (ru) (méta-)
• Spanish: meta- (es)

Etymology 4

Back-formation from metastasis.

Prefix

meta-

1. (pathology) Consequent on.

Translations

pathology: consequent on

• Finnish: meta- (fi)
• French: méta- (fr)
• Greek: μετα- (el) (meta-)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: ме́та- (ru) (méta-)
• Spanish: meta- (es)

Derived terms

English terms prefixed with meta-

Further reading

• List of Ancient Greek words starting with meta-, on Perseus

Anagrams

• AEMT, ATEM, Atem, Tame, Tema, mate, maté, meat, tame, team

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Czech

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μετα- (meta-).

Prefix

meta-

1. meta- (pertaining to a level above or beyond)

   ‎meta- + ‎jazyk → ‎metajazyk

Derived terms

Czech terms prefixed with meta-

Further reading

• Template:R:SSJC
• Template:R:Slovnik afixu

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German

Alternative forms

• met- (prevocalic)

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μετα- (meta-).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmeta/, /ˈmɛta/

• Audio:

  (file)

Prefix

meta-

1. meta-

Derived terms

German terms prefixed with meta-

Further reading

• “meta-” in Duden online

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Hungarian

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μετα- (meta-).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɛtɒ]
• Hyphenation: me‧ta

Prefix

meta-

1. meta-

Derived terms

Hungarian terms prefixed with meta-

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Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛ.ta/

Prefix

meta-

1. meta-

Derived terms

Italian terms prefixed with meta-

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Spanish

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Ancient Greek μετά (metá).

Prefix

meta-

1. meta-

Derived terms

Spanish terms prefixed with meta-