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Showing results for on file. Search instead for On+file.
Synonyms

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.

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.

When ballots are sent by mail, election officials are required to verify a voter’s signature on the ballot by comparing it with the signature on the official voter registration records on file.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

In the Texas Panhandle, Potter County elections officials quickly confirmed through DPS that three of nine voters on their list had proof of citizenship on file.

From Salon • Feb. 27, 2026

Wright was convicted after his DNA, on file from his Brook Hotel theft conviction, matched samples taken from the victims.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

It’s a good idea for both of you to have an account, given that it lets people review earnings history, personal information on file, and benefit estimates at different claiming ages.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 9, 2026

I repeat: "I'd like to review the documents on file for building projects that come before the city council."

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan

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.