1. Meta means about the thing itself. It's seeing the thing from a higher perspective instead of from within the thing, like being self-aware.

2. A term used in mmo meaning the Most Effective Tactic Available. It's basically what works in a game regardless of what you wish would work.
1. There's a lot of bad examples here, so I'll fix those.

Making a movie about the film industry isn't meta. Making a movie about making movies is.

Using a footnote to explain another footnote isn't meta. Using a footnote to explain what footnotes are is meta.

Metaphysics, probably the most common use of meta, means that instead of talking about the physics of the real world, you're talking about the physics itself (for example, why should there even be gravity).

2. Ninja in FFXI wasn't meant to be a tank, but it ended up being one in the meta because it's evasion was so high.
by pcheolsu February 22, 2017
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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."
by Dara L October 24, 2005
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1. Shortened for of "metagame". In any kind of competitive gaming, there exists a kind of extra game on top of the game. Certain tactics are found to be very effective, and because of that, counters to those tactics become effective, and so on. The current state of the interactions between all these tactics is referred to as "the metagame" for a particular game.

2. Self-referential. In film and television, the lexicon has adopted meta to mean anything in a film or TV show that references films or TV shows.

3. Generally, any approach that discusses the sub approaches in a field or media. Metafiction, for example, plays off the expectations of the audience to surprise and delight them.

A metaverse is a collection of multiple complete fictional universes.

Metadata is the data that describes your data (e.g. in the statement "you have 10 gigs of videos stored on your hard drive", the videos are the data and the information that there are 10 gigs, and that they're on your hard drive is metadata)
1. These decks are particularly good in the current meta

2. "Ooh, I have some big plans this season, I want to move away from the heavy emotional plots and back to more wacky hijinks"
"Abed, for the LAST TIME, this are NOT a -"
Cuts to Intro themesong

3. "I want to talk about how we talk about things."

"Dude, that is so meta"
by Ignus3 March 16, 2019
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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."

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."

by meta|mistake April 28, 2009
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meta can be used as an acronym for “most effective tactics available”

Calling something “meta” means that it's an effective way to achieve the goal of the game, whether it's to beat other players or beat the game itself.

meta meant “beyond,” “after,” or “behind.”
Example 1:
,,This shirt is the new meta, better quality than any other shirt''

Example 2:
,,Bro this item is the new meta, I beat the game with it so easy''
by MertNoCap April 8, 2021
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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.
Man, I need notes to explain the notes to my notes for my thesis!" - "That's very meta. Perhaps you should rewrite it?
by Charles Hoffmann August 29, 2010
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When in any form of art; whether it be a story, video game, picture, movie, etc.; the story is explaining itself.
Examples of meta media: The Stanley Parable (game), Deadpool (movie), Game Dev Tycoon (game), and "Drawing Hands" by MC Escher (painting).
by xDJ Rockstar April 7, 2016
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