- pertaining to or noting a story, conversation, character, etc., that consciously references or comments upon its own subject or features, often in the form of parody: A movie about making a movie is just so meta—especially when the actors criticize the acting.
- pertaining to or noting an abstract, high-level analysis or commentary, especially one that consciously references something of its own type.
- a consciously and playfully self-referential story, conversation, etc.: That dialogue was an example of meta at its best.
- an abstract, high-level analysis or commentary: writing a meta to explain the character’s motivation.
- to analyze or comment on something in a meta way: I spend more time metaing about the show than actually watching it.
- (in ancient Rome) a column or post, or a group of columns or posts, placed at each end of a racetrack to mark the turning places.
- pertaining to or occupying two positions (1, 3) in the benzene ring that are separated by one carbon atom.
- a shortened form of metamour.
- a female given name.
- a prefix appearing in loanwords from Greek, with the meanings “after,” “along with,” “beyond,” “among,” “behind,” and productive in English on the Greek model: metacarpus; metagenesis.
- a prefix added to the name of a subject and designating another subject that analyzes the original one but at a more abstract, higher level: metaphilosophy; metalinguistics.
- a prefix added to the name of something that consciously references or comments upon its own subject or features: a meta-painting of an artist painting a canvas.
- Chemistry.
- (of acids, salts, or their organic derivatives) a prefix denoting the least hydrated of a series: meta-antimonic, HSbO3;meta-antimonous, HSbO2.
- a prefix designating the meta position in the benzene ring. Abbreviation: m-.
- a river in Colombia, rising in the Andes and flowing northeast and east, forming part of the border between Colombia and Venezuela, to join the Orinoco River. Length: about 1000 km (620 miles)
- indicating change, alteration, or alternation
- (of an academic discipline, esp philosophy) concerned with the concepts and results of the named discipline
- occurring or situated behind or after
- denoting that an organic compound contains a benzene ring with substituents in the 1,3-positions
- denoting an isomer, polymer, or compound related to a specified compound (often differing from similar compounds that are prefixed by para-)
- denoting an oxyacid that is a lower hydrated form of the anhydride or a salt of such an acid
