meta

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.

meta by pcheolsu February 22, 2017

Meta

"Meta" describes a reference made in fiction, where the work reaches outside the narrative and addresses the audience directly or demonstrates awareness of itself as a work of fiction. This is best explained as when a character "breaks the fourth wall", for instance by looking directly at the camera and commenting about the movie or show they are in.

In the TV show Community the character Abed often makes meta references by referring to himself and the other characters as being in a TV show. In response to this, one of them once commented "Abed, it makes the group uncomfortable when you talk about us like we're characters on a show you're watching."

Meta by CeraWithaC April 18, 2016

Meta

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.

Player: That new patch changed the meta so much, I really enjoy the game more now!

Meta by ChelseaStaub November 15, 2015

Meta

A medium is meta if it references itself (see, e.g., meta.) This is often done by trampling over what appeared to be a closed system's barrier - e.g. a book referencing its author, a play referencing its audience (see, e.g., breaking the fourth wall.)

The feeling behind 'meta' is that of pulling back the camera. We start with a family having dinner, then pull back to reveal the camera crew, then pull back to the writers room for describing the crew's motion, then pull way back to the scientists marionetting the miniature writers, then pull back to reveal all this on a TV screen in the background of the kitchen where the family is having dinner.

Author of this piece: Did you know that Urban Dictionary sells mugs? Perfect for Drinking and Writing.
Reader of this piece: Is this an example of something being meta?
Editor of Urban Dictionary: I'm not sure.

Meta by blink the dust January 3, 2017

meta

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."

meta by Dara L October 29, 2005

meta

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"

meta by Ignus3 March 16, 2019

meta

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."

meta by meta|mistake April 30, 2009