hard copy
Americannoun
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hard copies
plural
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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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
People must mail a hard copy to the IRS service center where they would file their current-year return, Collins wrote.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
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
"HMV is not the only supplier benefitting from this resurgence of the hard copy, also seen in books."
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2024
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
E-mail was received in Kathmandu, printed out, and the hard copy was transported by yak to Base Camp.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
