meta

Noun

1. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping) Clipping of metagame.
2. (Internet, broadly, countable) Clipping of metagame.
3. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal) Clipping of metaoidioplasty.
4. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal) Clipping of metamour.
5. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, slang) Clipping of metanalysis: metanalysis or metacommentary focused on media, fandom, or related topics, typically presented as an essay or dialogue.

Adj

1. (informal) Self-referential; structured analogously (structured by relationships), but at a higher level.
2. Prominent in the metagame; effective and frequently used in competitive gameplay.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmɛtə/

Etymology

Adjective sense 1 is a back-formation from meta- (prefix).
Adjective sense 2 is derived from noun sense 1.
The noun senses are clippings of various terms beginning with meta (prefix).
Folk etymology for noun sense 1 also suggests an acronym for most effective/efficient tactic available.

Synonyms

iron

meta-