big data
/ˌbɪɡ ˈdeɪtə/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.17 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Data on a very large scale, such that it can only be gathered or processed with computers, especially with reference to its potential to allow for new breakthroughs or understanding in a particular field of study.
Uncountable
name
Alternative letter-case form of big data.
Example Sentences
- "The insights gained from big data can be used to improve products and customer service, but they can also be used in ways that creep out customers and make them feel uncomfortable or watched."
- "As we’ll discuss in more detail, the big data of this revolution is far more powerful than the analytics that were used in the past. We can measure and therefore manage more precisely than ever before. We can make better predictions and smarter decisions."
- "Big data has the potential to revolutionise the global healthcare system, but barriers to its adoption mean progress is slow."
- "James Cheshire and Oliver Uberti’s enchanting and exhilarating annotated atlas of animal movements[…]is a product of ‘big data’ methodology."
Etymology
In 2000, economist Francis X. Diebold published the first version of a paper titled “Big Data Dynamic Factor Models for Macroeconomic Measurement and Forecasting.” After being interviewed on his use of the term “big data” by NYTimes.com blogger Steve Lohr, Diebold undertook his own investigation, in which he concluded: “The term ‘Big Data,’ which spans computer science and statistics/econometrics, probably originated in the lunch-table conversations at Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) in the mid 1990s, in which John Mashey figured prominently.”
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌbɪɡ ˈdeɪtə/
- British English: /ˌbɪɡ ˈdeɪtə/