data file
noun
variants
or less commonly datafile
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
George CoxExamples of data file in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
King and her team grew wary when Russo asked for direct access to the main Social Security data files—among them the Death Master File, on which the S.S.A. records each number holder who has died.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
Each of the three Armored Core games has separate save data files, which can also be backed up to the cloud via PlayStation Plus service.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Kellogg already had nearly all of the two probes’ master data records, binary data files that contained all the Pioneers’ science and housekeeping data.
—Viktor T. Toth, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Nov. 2012
When a new part rolls down a production line today, manufacturers use imaging devices to scan the interior of components, then run these data files through AI models for analysis.
—Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Investigators use genetic genealogy to solve cold cases by using suspect DNA collected from a crime scene, analyzing it, and converting it into a raw data file.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
That includes when a campaign staffer accidentally downloads a malicious file or when a hacker corrupts a key data file.
—Sam Sabin, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024
The researchers also submitted the evidence to Harvard, which ran its own investigation that included interviewing the researchers involved and examining many of the original data files behind the paper.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 12 Sep. 2024
University administrators usually have access to researchers’ original data files, which, in some cases, can be at risk of becoming conveniently misplaced.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2024
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Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
Each of the three Armored Core games has separate save data files, which can also be backed up to the cloud via PlayStation Plus service.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Kellogg already had nearly all of the two probes’ master data records, binary data files that contained all the Pioneers’ science and housekeeping data.
—Viktor T. Toth, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Nov. 2012
When a new part rolls down a production line today, manufacturers use imaging devices to scan the interior of components, then run these data files through AI models for analysis.
—Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Investigators use genetic genealogy to solve cold cases by using suspect DNA collected from a crime scene, analyzing it, and converting it into a raw data file.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
That includes when a campaign staffer accidentally downloads a malicious file or when a hacker corrupts a key data file.
—Sam Sabin, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024
The researchers also submitted the evidence to Harvard, which ran its own investigation that included interviewing the researchers involved and examining many of the original data files behind the paper.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 12 Sep. 2024
University administrators usually have access to researchers’ original data files, which, in some cases, can be at risk of becoming conveniently misplaced.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Data file.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/data%20file. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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