hard copy

See synonyms for hard copy on Thesaurus.com

noun

copy, as computer output printed on paper, that can be read without using a special device (opposed to soft copy).
copy that is finished and ready for the printer.

Origin of hard copy

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Other words from hard copy

hard-copy, adjective

Words Nearby hard copy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hard copy in a sentence

At that time you could go and knock on the doors and drop in hard copies.
The Man of a Thousand Faces: Navid Negahban | Isabelle Lee | June 9, 2021 | Ozy
Although the census was offered in Arabic in 2020, for example, the hard copies mailed to people were always in English, with a sheet explaining in different languages how to complete the census in Arabic or other languages.
Middle Eastern Communities Say Census Whitewashes Their Numbers, Needs | Maya Srikrishnan | March 18, 2021 | Voice of San Diego
Despite the increasingly digital nature of recordkeeping, many critical documents still come in hard copy and require dedicated office storage built around safety, security and ease of access.
Best office cabinets: Storage must-haves to make your workspace work | PopSci Commerce Team | March 18, 2021 | Popular-Science
Do people prefer “certain documents in hard-copy” or do they “favor online disclosure?”
SEC Report Calls Most Regular Investors Financially Illiterate | Alex Klein | August 30, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
“A Setback in the Israeli Parliament for Settlers,” announced my hard copy of The New York Times.
A Very Generous Setback | Peter Beinart | June 7, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST

Papers are in full-on wedding mode as the official program is finally made available in hard copy form.
The Real Thing | Kara Cutruzzula | April 30, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
The resulting etext was compared with a public domain hard copy version of the text.
Moby Dick; or The Whale | Herman Melville
Please note that the hard-copy book used to create this ebook was not in the best condition.
The Countess of Charny | Alexandre Dumas (pere)

British Dictionary definitions for hard copy

hard copy

noun

computer output printed on paper, as contrasted with machine-readable output such as magnetic tape

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

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