portable document format; a way of storing computer files so that they can be read using any computer system. PDFs can be sent from one computer to another and always look the same on every computer:
• The PDFs are on the U drive if you want to look at them.
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PDF UK US /ˌpiːdiːˈef/ noun IT
► [U] ABBREVIATION FOR portable document format: a system for making computer documents that can be used with any computer system and sent from one computer to another. The documents can be looked at or printed, but not changed: »
I'll send you the document in PDF format.
»The industry journal is delivered monthly in Adobe PDF and has a subscriber base of approximately 600.
PDF document/file »You can save and print PDF files for reading later.
► [C] a document made using a PDF system: »
The sheet-fed scanner excels at making PDFs from documents.
Financial and business terms. 2012.