hard copy
Americannoun
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copy, as computer output printed on paper, that can be read without using a special device (opposed to soft copy).
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copy that is finished and ready for the printer.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hard copy
An Americanism dating back to 1885–90
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.
A hard copy is available for $50, but don’t bother—its “reference scenario” is already stale.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
In the months after she learned about the hack, Auer requested a hard copy of her records from Vastaamo.
From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026
Meanwhile, the participants who held on to a hard copy of the insult experienced only a small decrease in their overall anger.
From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2024
The bag, the instructions advise, also should contain a hard copy of maps and a compass — “goin’ old school!”
From Seattle Times • Mar. 22, 2024
Artemis flicked through his hard copy of the Book and selected a passage.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
