an older data

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an older data" is not correct in standard written English.
The word "data" is typically treated as a plural noun, so it should be preceded by "older" without the article "an." Example: "The older data indicates a significant trend in user behavior."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Last year, EA admitted to an older data breach that reportedly affected over 40,000 forum members, after a whistleblower came forward.

TechCrunch

There are bigger questions at play now — say, whether or not AT&T should be allowed to do this in the first place — but just on it's face this is a tough break for everyone who still has an older data plan.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

In other instances, the report says, he told colleagues that he had an old data set lying around that he hadn't yet had a chance to analyze.

Science Magazine

If you happen to carry an old, data-less phone about, you can always listen to some of the music on its own old fashioned we know, but when it sounds as absurdly good as new track "Waiting On Your Call" does like sino-grime imploding in the darkest reaches of a distant galaxy you won't mind.

Vice

Dr. Condon describes it as a classic case of shifting baselines: a lack of older data leads us to conclude that there is a new problem.

The New York Times

First, although we conducted a thorough literature search, we did not conduct a search of older data that has not been indexed in an electronic/online database.

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Use a greater number for more recent data and a lesser number for older data.

WikiHow

Another problem is the quality of older data, a common challenge in the analysis of retrospective databases.

Plosone

Synthetic-lethality interactions in the newer BioGRID dataset are (except for a small number of false positives weeded out since 2005) a superset of the older data.

Plosone

When the recorder reaches the end of the tape loop, it simply records over the older data, providing a constantly updated record for use in analyzing precisely what happened during a flight.

The New York Times - Tech

Even the older data indicate a stagnant academic job market.

Science Magazine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always treat "data" as a plural noun unless you're specifically referring to a single data point; use "older data" instead of "an older data".

Common error

Avoid using the indefinite article "an" before "older data" because "data" is generally considered plural. Using "an older data" can make your writing sound ungrammatical.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an older data" functions as a determiner phrase, attempting to specify a particular set of data that is older than some other data. However, the use of "an" before "older data" is grammatically questionable, as per Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

20%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "an older data" is generally considered grammatically incorrect because "data" is typically treated as a plural noun, as noted by Ludwig. The correct form is simply "older data". While examples exist in various sources, the use of "an" is a common error. When writing, it's best to avoid using the indefinite article "an" before "older data". Instead, use alternatives like "older data", "previous data", or "earlier data" to maintain grammatical accuracy. The authoritative sources listed by Ludwig include media and scientific publications.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

older data

Omits the article "an", aligning with the common grammatical treatment of "data" as a plural noun.

old data

Uses the adjective "old" instead of "older", providing a simpler descriptor for the data's age.

previous data

Replaces "older" with "previous", offering an alternative way to indicate that the data came before.

earlier data

Substitutes "older" with "earlier", suggesting the data was collected at an earlier time.

past data

Uses "past" to describe the data, emphasizing that it belongs to a prior period.

historical data

Employs "historical" to denote the data, which emphasizes its value for tracing the evolution of systems and the identification of trends.

outdated data

Replaces "older" with "outdated", indicating the data may no longer be accurate or relevant.

archived data

Employs "archived" to indicate that the data is stored away because it's no longer actively used.

legacy data

Uses "legacy" to refer to data from an older system or technology that is still used.

aged data

Substitutes "older" with "aged", implying the data has been around for a considerable amount of time.

FAQs

How do I correctly use "older data" in a sentence?

When referring to data from the past, use "older data" without the indefinite article "an". For example, "The older data suggests a different conclusion."

What's a better alternative to the phrase "an older data"?

Instead of "an older data", use the phrase "older data", which is grammatically correct since "data" is generally treated as a plural noun.

Is it ever correct to use "a older data"?

No, it is not correct. The word "data" is treated as a plural noun; therefore, it's incorrect to use the articles "a" or "an" before it. Use "older data" instead.

What's the difference between "older data" and "old data"?

While both phrases refer to data from the past, "older data" implies a comparison, suggesting it's not the newest data available. "Old data" simply means the data is not recent.