Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
A file is a collection of stored information that can be accessed by a computer program or user. It can contain various types of data such as text, images, audio, and video.
Related terms
File Extension: These are characters at the end of a filename that indicate the format or type of data contained within the file.
File Size: The amount of storage space occupied by a file on disk or memory.
File Format: The standardized structure or organization used to store and encode specific types of data within a file.