Dating - Definition and Overview

The term date can refer to:

• A day according to a calendar; see calendar date.
• The fruit of the Date Palm.
• A social outing with a current or potential lover or spouse; see courtship.
• A Unix command; see date (Unix).
• A city located in Hokkaido prefecture, Japan; see Date, Hokkaido.
• Dating can refer to the determination of the approximate period of origin of an object, particularly in the case of historical or archeological finds such as antiques or fossils.
  • Radiometric dating is a family of techniques used to accomplish this.
• Dated, as an adjective, refers to something that is, or appears to be, old or otherwise out of style.
• DaTe is also a student association at Åbo Akademi University (Turku, Finland). Homepage [1] (http://www.datateknologerna.org)

See also Wikipedia:Manual of Style (dates and numbers) for help regarding the use of calendar dates in Wikipedia articles.

Dating is a form of interpersonal relationship between two partners characterised by a continuity of social outings and meetings. Dating is an informal relationship that is not associated with committment or long term plans, although it can lead to such arrangements. Dating allows for partners to have the benefits of a formal monogamous relationship without the constrictions associated with committment.