data file

noun

variants or less commonly datafile

ˈdā-tə-ˌfī(-ə)l 

ˈda-

also ˈdä-

plural data files also datafiles

: a digital file on which data is stored

Call a professional and check your system before trying to insert that recovery disk. If the disk is readable, your important data files can be copied before any reinstalling activity starts.

—George Cox

Examples of data file in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In this case, AssuranceAmerica said an unauthorized third party copied certain data files from its IT environment. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026

But pricing information on hospital websites can be hard to grasp owing to huge data files and the complex way it’s presented. — Gretchen Morgenson, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026

The background story for the data files is that this was meant to be the in-world database used by Chronos to catalog all the various creatures. — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 20 Mar. 2026

Generally, the data files include, at a bare minimum, customer information, such as name, gender, email address and birthdate. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 23 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for data file

• campanile
• chamomile
• domicil
• domicile
• mercantile
• neuropil
• percentile
• peristyle
• reconcile
• thermopile
• aisle
• bile