file
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A collection of papers collated and archived together.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
fylIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈfaɪl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A collection of papers collated and archived together.
A roll or list.
canadaus
An item of office furniture comprising a set of either drawers, or shelves with individual doors or panels, sized to standard widths of file folders and traditionally used for the storage of files.
A row of modular kitchen units and a countertop, consisting of cabinets and appliances below (dishwasher) and next to (stove/cooker) a countertop.
A column of people one behind another, whether "single file" or in a grid pattern.
A tool consisting of a strip or rod of hardened and coarse metal, used for removing sharp edges, shaping, and cutting, especially through metal; usually a hand tool.
verb
transitive
To commit (official papers) to some office.
transitive
To store a file (aggregation of data) on a storage medium such as a disc or another computer.
transitiveof a journalist
To submit (an article) to a newspaper or similar publication.
Place in a container for keeping records
transitive
To place in an archive in a logical place and order.
To corrupt.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A collection of papers collated and archived together.
Used this way, file is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
A party who files a notice with a law court.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A clerk who is employed to maintain the files of an organization.
Folder that holds papers together in a filing cabinet.
Enter by marching in a file.
The name given to a computer file in order to distinguish it from other files.
A string of characters beginning with a period and followed by one or more letters.
March out, in a file.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
The name given to a computer file in order to distinguish it from other files.
The name given to a computer file in order to distinguish it from other files.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: collection of papers collated and archived together
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.