on file

Idioms  

1. In or as if in a record for easy reference. For example, There's no job open right now, but we'll keep your résumé on file. The use of file in the sense of “a collection of papers stored for ready reference” dates from the early 1600s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

on file

You don’t have to download an app or even swipe a credit card—the session is charged to whatever card GM has on file for you.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

The cameras will take a photo of the speeding vehicle’s license plate, with the license plate data used to identify the registered vehicle’s owner on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

“I’d often get a call that would say, ‘Hey, we need to be on file with this in less than 24 hours, get whatever resources you need, just make it happen,’” Hilton recalls.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

While reviewing your records, gather documentation of your earnings for those years, especially if you believe the agency has the wrong income information on file.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026

Today most Americans have their tissue on file somewhere.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

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Related Words

• documented
• listed
• registered
• reported
• taped

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