PDF

American

abbreviation

Digital Technology.

portable document format:
1. a file format that makes it possible to display text and graphics in the same fixed layout on any computer screen.
2. a document or file in this format.

PDF British

abbreviation

portable document format: a format in which documents may be viewed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of PDF

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I've sent a PDF of my book to my friends and asked them to distribute it.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

This category represents Adobe’s Document Cloud business, which includes PDF and e-signature tools.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

When the original of one of those records was attached to an email obtained in discovery, Myers found that it had been extensively revised before the PDF conversion.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

After, you can download a PDF that summarizes symptoms alongside your cycle trends and body temperature variation to share with a doctor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 9, 2025

It came in the form of a PDF attached to an email from Tyler and Stefanie.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023