What does date mean?
"Date" is one of English's most versatile everyday words. As a noun, its primary sense is a specific day of the month or year, as in a date of birth or a deadline, but it equally denotes a planned social or romantic meeting between two people, or the person accompanying one at such a meeting. As a verb, it can mean to write or assign a date to something, to establish how old an artifact or document is, or to engage in a romantic relationship. The word carries no strong connotation of formality: it appears in legal documents, casual conversation, and scientific writing alike. Its flexibility makes it indispensable — few other single words can anchor a calendar entry, label a relationship, and describe laboratory analysis of ancient remains. Derived forms such as "dated" and "dating" extend its usefulness further, allowing speakers to describe both temporal marking and matters of the heart with equal ease.
A specific day of the month or year, often given as a combination of numbers and names identifying a point in time.
"The contract takes effect from the date of signing."
In formal writing, dates are typically written out fully; abbreviations vary between British (5 June 2024) and American (June 5, 2024) conventions.
A planned social or romantic appointment between two people.
"He asked her out on a date to the new Italian restaurant."
The person with whom one has such an appointment.
"She arrived at the party with her date."
To write, mark, or establish the date of something.
"Remember to date the letter before sending it."
Standard plural, used when referring to multiple calendar days or multiple appointments.
"We compared the dates on both documents and found a discrepancy."
Every "date" you've ever written down literally means "given" — because the day was handed to you by the calendar, courtesy of Latin.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of date
The word "date" comes from the Latin phrase "data Romae," meaning "given at Rome," which once opened medieval letters and documents before the place and year of writing. The phrase derives from "dare," the Latin verb "to give," whose past participle stem "dat-" also produced "data," "datum," and the grammatical term "dative." The word entered English via Old French "date" in the Middle Ages, initially referring to the time notation on documents. The romantic sense of a social appointment developed later, becoming well established by the nineteenth century, while the verb senses followed naturally from the noun.
Related word forms
How date is actually used
"Date" is neutral in register and used across formal and informal contexts. In American English, "to date" someone commonly implies an ongoing romantic relationship, while in British English it more often suggests going out on one or more occasions. In archaeology and historical writing, "to date" frequently means to establish the age or period of an object.
Easily confused with date
"Data" means facts or information (from the Latin plural of datum), while "date" refers to a calendar day or a social appointment; they share a Latin root but have entirely different meanings.
"Day" refers to a full 24-hour period in general, whereas "date" pinpoints a specific day identified on the calendar.