A term, especially in art, used to characterize something that is characteristically self-referential.

1. meta 581 up, 58 down
A term, especially in art, used to characterize something that is characteristically self-referential.


"So I just saw this film about these people making a movie, and the movie they were making was about the film industry..."
"Dude, that's so meta. Stop before my brain explodes."

When you create new layers of abstraction between the thing or event, you are becoming more meta.

For example: A footnote that is needed to explain another footnote is meta.

The problem with being meta is that if you add sufficient layers of abstraction or complexity between the original event and the convenient abstractions you create to clarify or explain it, you eventually lose all connection to the original. Generally, you need no more than two or three levels in writing.

Too much meta in your writing leads to meta fog.

In writing, this means your writing sucks.

In the gaming world, meta is what the entire community does within one week of the game's release or latest patch, ignoring everything else the game or the game developer has to offer.

In the gaming world. The meta is what is in RIGHT NOW. What are the best strategies, plays, options.. Things of that nature. Often referred to as "Meta-Game".

Abbreviation of Most Effective Tactic Available. Mostly used when comparing tactics in a game, but can be used in other things as well. It can change over time as new tactics are explored or can change by a change in the rules of a game or availability of new resources. In real life changes to gamerules are usually to make the game more interesting (soccer rules change for offside, usage of time compensation in some courses). In computer games this is done by patching to balance the game or fix bugs.

An acronym, most commonly used in the gaming world, for Most Effective Tactic Available.