Etymology: The word anecdata is used to describe information that is presented as a substantiated truth (i.e., data), when it is in fact based on personal experience, speculation or opinion (i.e., anecdote). Or, as the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English briefly defines it, “information based on what someone thinks but cannot prove.” It is interesting to note that the designation neither confirms nor denies the accuracy of a piece of evidence; it only speaks to the process that informed its coming This story is from Kinfolk Issue Forty-Four Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 43 Word: Knolling The fascinating history of the flat lay. Arts & Culture Issue 42 Word: Hyperobject A word for things too huge to name. Arts & Culture Word: Negentropy A physicist’s fix for a messy home. Arts & Culture Issue 40 My Word In praise of cursing. Arts & Culture Issue 39 Word: Umarell The men who stare at construction sites. Arts & Culture Issue 38 Word: Hauntology The study of cultural ghosts.
