Refers to information that is artificially created rather than collected from real people or events. It is generated by computer programs to mimic the patterns and characteristics of real data without exposing anyone’s personal details. For example, instead of using actual student records to test a new education tool, developers might use synthetic data that looks and behaves like real student records but does not belong to any actual person. This allows organizations to test, train, and improve systems while protecting privacy and reducing risks.

The term simulated data is sometimes used in connection with synthetic data, especially when the information is produced through a computer simulation. In practice, all simulated data is synthetic, but not all synthetic data comes from simulations—some is generated by machine learning models, statistical methods, or rule-based systems.