# What does "meta" mean?

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/what-does-meta-mean/18124>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Tags:** repl\
**Created:** [November 29, 2018, 2:20am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/what-does-meta-mean/18124 "2018-11-29T02:20:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![oviedorodolfo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/oviedorodolfo/32/5314_2.png) [@oviedorodolfo](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/oviedorodolfo)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 2:20am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/what-does-meta-mean/18124/1 "2018-11-29T02:20:34Z")

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In the Documentation regarding the Julia REPL, I find the keyword **meta** in the table with shortcuts in the column headed Keybinding - Program Control. What does **meta** mean?  
Examples:  
ctrl-Right, `meta-F` =\> Move right one word  
`meta->` =\> Change to the last history entry  
`meta-w` =\> Copy the current region in the kill ring

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**Author:** ![jandehaan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/jandehaan/32/6805_2.png) [@jandehaan](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/jandehaan)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 2:38am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/what-does-meta-mean/18124/2 "2018-11-29T02:38:03Z")

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The same documentation says “In addition to the control-key, there are also meta-key bindings. These vary more by platform, but most terminals default to using alt- or option- held down with a key to send the meta-key (or can be configured to do so).”

On Windows 10 `meta` seems to correspond to the `Alt` key.  
`meta->` corresponds to `Alt+Shift+>` because the `>` character requires you to hold down the `shift` key as well.

The word `meta` itself means “after” or “beyond”.

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**Author:** ![stevengj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/stevengj/32/71_2.png) [@stevengj](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/stevengj)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 3:54am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/what-does-meta-mean/18124/3 "2018-11-29T03:54:29Z")

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> **[Meta key](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta_key)**
>
> The Meta key is a modifier key on certain keyboards. It first appeared on the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab (SAIL) keyboard in 1970.
> The Meta key first appeared on the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab (SAIL) keyboard in 1970 and successors such as the Knight keyboard, space-cadet keyboard, MIT Lisp machine, Symbolics keyboards, and on Sun Microsystems keyboards (where it is marked with a black diamond "◆").\[citation needed\]
> Generally, the Meta key worked similar to Macintosh's Comman...

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**Author:** ![jandehaan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/jandehaan/32/6805_2.png) [@jandehaan](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/jandehaan)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 4:34am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/what-does-meta-mean/18124/4 "2018-11-29T04:34:54Z")

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Fun fact/myth:  
`metaphysics` refers to those books of Aristotle placed in the ancient library of Alexandria “after/beyond” his books on physics. See [Title, date, and the arrangement of the treatises](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Metaphysics_(Aristotle))