1
: a tool usually of hardened steel with cutting ridges for forming or smoothing surfaces especially of metal
2
: a shrewd or crafty person
filed; filing
: to rub, smooth, or cut away with or as if with a file
She filed her nails.
filed; filing
1
: to arrange in order for preservation and reference
file letters
2
a
: to place among official records as prescribed by law
file a mortgage
b
: to send (copy) to a newspaper
filed a story
c
: to return to the office of the clerk of a court without action on the merits
3
: to initiate (something, such as a legal action) through proper formal procedure
threatened to file charges
1
: to register as a candidate especially in a primary election
2
: to place items in a file
3
: to submit documents necessary to initiate a legal proceeding
file for bankruptcy
1
: a device (such as a folder, case, or cabinet) by means of which papers are kept in order
2
b
: a collection of papers or publications usually arranged or classified
c(1)
: a collection of related data records (as for a computer)
(2)
: a complete collection of data (such as text or a program) treated by a computer as a unit especially for purposes of input and output
1
2
: any of the rows of squares that extend across a chessboard from one player's side to the other player's side
variants
or less commonly file
: powdered young leaves of sassafras used to thicken soups or stews
Synonyms
Examples of file in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024
Atrium — overseen by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority — argues it is entitled to trust distributions and this month filed a motion to remove the trustees blocking it from the inheritance.
—Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 26 Apr. 2024
Exporters must renew export licenses every year and will be required to file more thorough purchase orders in many countries.
—David Kocieniewski / Bloomberg, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
Alameda County prosecutors filed charges against Johnson four days later.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024
His wife, Christina, who filed for divorce in March, was not present.
—Ashley Ahn, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
On April 19, Cohen responded by filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which could protect some of his assets as JTS and a bevy of other creditors seek their liquidation.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2024
Two cases have also been handed over to Brown County investigators, but no charges have yet been filed there
Have the Catholic dioceses helped with the investigation?
—Journal Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2024
Jeffrey Arnold was fired from the New York Beer Project’s brewery in Victor in September 2020, after he was diagnosed with lymphoma, a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2024
Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
Gusto builds simplicity into its friendly design, and it’s backed up by tons of help files with easy-to-understand, step-by-step instructions.
—PCMAG, 25 Apr. 2024
However, there was no record of any negative feedback in Arnold’s employee file, according to the complaint.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2024
Add in that Milwaukee County has by far the busiest courthouse, with roughly 150,000 case files each year, many of which require a jury.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2024
Some of this information only came to light to the public when a whistleblower released sort of a treasure trove of files that revealed that Facebook’s algorithm was recommending content that made people angry, content that reflected violence, content that didn’t necessarily contain truth.
—Quartz Staff, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
Meticulously reviewing archives of adoption files and court cases, Nolan finds that many adoptions involved fraudulent testimonies, suggesting that children were kidnapped or that their families were coerced into giving them up.
—Rachel Nolan, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
There were also two property damage claims and three unverified fire reports, the file states.
—Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
The letter is placed in Santos’ personnel file, but will be removed in January 2026 if there is no additional discipline issued, the letter stated.
—Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 17 Apr. 2024
Verb
According to the Human Rights Campaign, 130 bills targeting trans rights have been filed and 325 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been proposed in 2024.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024
Atrium — overseen by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority — argues it is entitled to trust distributions and this month filed a motion to remove the trustees blocking it from the inheritance.
—Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 26 Apr. 2024
Exporters must renew export licenses every year and will be required to file more thorough purchase orders in many countries.
—David Kocieniewski / Bloomberg, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
Alameda County prosecutors filed charges against Johnson four days later.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024
His wife, Christina, who filed for divorce in March, was not present.
—Ashley Ahn, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
On April 19, Cohen responded by filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which could protect some of his assets as JTS and a bevy of other creditors seek their liquidation.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2024
Two cases have also been handed over to Brown County investigators, but no charges have yet been filed there
Have the Catholic dioceses helped with the investigation?
—Journal Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2024
Jeffrey Arnold was fired from the New York Beer Project’s brewery in Victor in September 2020, after he was diagnosed with lymphoma, a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2024
Noun
City of Hope, which includes medical facilities in California, Arizona, Illinois and Georgia, informed its members that somebody accessed their information and obtained copies of some files between Sept. 19 and Oct. 12 in 2023, the company announced in an advisory on April 2.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
Gusto builds simplicity into its friendly design, and it’s backed up by tons of help files with easy-to-understand, step-by-step instructions.
—PCMAG, 25 Apr. 2024
However, there was no record of any negative feedback in Arnold’s employee file, according to the complaint.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2024
Add in that Milwaukee County has by far the busiest courthouse, with roughly 150,000 case files each year, many of which require a jury.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2024
Some of this information only came to light to the public when a whistleblower released sort of a treasure trove of files that revealed that Facebook’s algorithm was recommending content that made people angry, content that reflected violence, content that didn’t necessarily contain truth.
—Quartz Staff, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
Meticulously reviewing archives of adoption files and court cases, Nolan finds that many adoptions involved fraudulent testimonies, suggesting that children were kidnapped or that their families were coerced into giving them up.
—Rachel Nolan, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
There were also two property damage claims and three unverified fire reports, the file states.
—Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
The letter is placed in Santos’ personnel file, but will be removed in January 2026 if there is no additional discipline issued, the letter stated.
—Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 17 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'file.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to file
Dictionary Entries Near file
Cite this Entry
“File.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/file. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
file
1 of 6 noun
: a usually steel tool with sharp ridges or teeth on its surface for smoothing hard substances
file
2 of 6 verb
filed; filing
: to rub, smooth, or cut away with a file
file
3 of 6 verb
filed; filing
1
: to arrange in order for keeping or reference
2
: to enter or record as required by law
file
4 of 6 noun1
: a device (as a folder, case, or cabinet) for keeping papers or records in order
2
a
: a collection of papers or records arranged in order
b
: a collection of data considered as a unit (as for a computer)
file
5 of 6 noun
: a row of persons, animals, or things arranged one behind the other
file
6 of 6 verb
filed; filing
: to march or proceed in file
Etymology
Noun
Old English fēol "tool for smoothing rough edges"
Verb
Middle English filen "to arrange (documents) in order," from Medieval Latin filare "to thread documents on a string," derived from Latin filum "thread" — related to file entry 5
Noun
from early French file "a row of things," from filer (verb) "to spin," derived from Latin filum "thread" — related to file entry 3
Medical Definition
file
noun1
: a tool usually of hardened steel with cutting ridges for forming or smoothing surfaces (as of a tooth)
2
: a narrow instrument for shaping fingernails with a fine rough metal or emery surface
file
transitive verb
filed; filing
Legal Definition
file
1 of 2 verb
filed; filing
1
a
: to submit (a legal document) to the proper office (as the office of a clerk of court) for keeping on file among the records especially as a procedural step in a legal transaction or proceeding
filed a tax return
a financing statement filed with the Secretary of State
filing a notice of appeal
also
: record
filed a mortgage in the Registry of Deeds
Note: In nearly all cases, a document is deemed to be filed when it is actually received by the office to which it is directed. A few cases, however, have held that a document is filed upon the mailing of it.
b
: to place (as a document) on file among the records of an office especially by formally receiving and endorsing
a complaint filed by the clerk despite the absence of the filing fee
2
: to return (the documentation in a case) to the records of a clerk of court without any determination of the case
broadly
: to conclude (a case) without a determination on its merits
3
: to initiate (a judicial or administrative proceeding) by submitting the proper documents or following proper procedure : bring
threatened to file charges
two separate actions were filed by representatives of the estates—J. H. Friedenthal et al.
J. H. Friedenthal et al.1
: to register as a candidate especially in a primary election
2
: to place items in a file
file
2 of 2 noun
: a collection of papers or publications usually arranged or classified
specifically
: the papers that make up the record of a case
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