What does biodata mean?
Biodata refers to a concise, structured document that summarizes the essential facts of a person's life: their name, age, education, occupation, family background, and other key particulars. The term blends the Greek-derived prefix bio-, meaning 'life', with data, meaning 'given information'. In Britain, the United States, and much of the corporate world, a biodata functions essentially as a résumé or curriculum vitae — a record submitted with job applications. In South Asian English, however, the word has taken on a distinct and widely understood second meaning: the formal document that families exchange when arranging a marriage, detailing everything from religion and community to hobbies and physical attributes. Because of this dual life, register matters: in a Western office, asking for someone's 'biodata' sounds administrative, while in India or Pakistan the request may signal matrimonial intent. The word is useful precisely because it captures the idea of a life compressed into facts on a page.
nounA document summarizing a person's life details — such as education, work history, and personal particulars — used for job applications or, especially in South Asia, for arranging marriages.
- A structured document giving a person's essential personal, educational, and professional particulars.
- (South Asian usage) A similar document exchanged between families during arranged-marriage negotiations.
"She attached her biodata to the application form along with copies of her certificates."
"Applicants were asked to complete a two-page biodata before the interview."
"Her aunt circulated the marriage biodata among several promising families."
Biodata is normally invariant in the plural, like 'data'; adding an -s is seen occasionally but is considered nonstandard by careful writers.
"All candidates were required to submit their biodata before the deadline."
In much of South Asia, the word 'biodata' doesn't mean a job CV at all — it's the formal dossier families exchange while matchmaking, listing everything from caste to star sign.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of biodata
Biodata is a twentieth-century compound combining the combining form bio-, from ancient Greek bíos ('life'), with data, the plural of Latin datum ('something given'), itself from the verb dare ('to give'). It emerged as administrative shorthand for biographical data and spread through official and employment paperwork across the British Commonwealth. Its strongest modern currency lies in South Asian English, where it developed the specialized matrimonial sense now familiar throughout the region.
How biodata is actually used
In Western contexts 'biodata' usually means a résumé or CV and can sound slightly bureaucratic. In Indian and Pakistani English it very commonly refers specifically to the marriage-profile document, where it carries a formal, traditional connotation. The plural is typically treated as unchanged ('two biodata'), though some writers use 'biodatas'.
Easily confused with biodata
A biography is a full narrative account of someone's life written by another person, while biodata is a concise factual summary of one's own vital statistics.
A résumé focuses on professional qualifications and work experience for jobs, whereas biodata also covers personal details such as age, height, religion, and family background.