UPF
Americanabbreviation
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ultraviolet protection factor: the effectiveness of clothing fabrics in protecting the skin from the sun’s ultraviolet UVA and UVB radiation, rated on a scale of increasing protectiveness, the number being the ratio of the radiation dose needed to produce minimal redness when wearing the fabric compared to the dose needed to produce the same redness when not wearing it.
A shirt with a UPF of 50 will reduce your ultraviolet exposure by 50 times (98% UV blockage).
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ultra-processed food.
Etymology
Origin of UPF
UPF as "ultraviolet protection factor" first recorded in 1985–90
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.
The key problem here is, and has always been, that the term UPF is almost entirely meaningless.
From Slate ● Jul. 12, 2026
For example, most of the UPF diets provided in these studies have higher energy density—meaning more calories per bite of food—which is known to cause people to gain a bit of weight.
From Slate ● Jul. 12, 2026
This is where UPF subcategories and better nutrition education could be helpful.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 23, 2026
Using a validated and widely used food classification system, individuals were then divided into four groups based on their level of UPF intake, ranging from lowest to highest.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 10, 2026
Writing in The Lancet, the researchers say governments need "to step up" and introduce warnings and higher taxes on UPF products, to help fund access to more nutritious foods.
From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2025
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.
