Which type of data expresses categories without a meaningful order?

Nominal data is a type of categorical data that represents distinct categories or groups that do not have a defined order or ranking. For instance, colors (red, blue, green) or types of fruit (apple, banana, orange) exemplify nominal data. These categories are used for labeling variables without any quantitative value or order, allowing for the classification of data points into specific groups.

In contrast, ordinal data does have a meaningful order, as it includes categories with a ranked relationship, such as survey responses ranging from "satisfied" to "very satisfied." Qualitative data is a broader category that encompasses both nominal and ordinal data, referring to non-numeric information that describes characteristics or qualities. Interval data, on the other hand, consists of numerical values where both the order and the exact differences between the values are meaningful but does not have a true zero point.

Hence, nominal data stands out as it captures categories devoid of any inherent structure or ranking, making it the correct choice in describing data that expresses categories without meaningful order.