hard copy
20
3.1
- noun
- /hɑrd ˈkɑpi/
:
copia impresa
- Do you know if they've put a hard copy in the library yet?
- hard copy format
- hard copy version
- hard copy materials
So I'm going to go pick up the hard copy of that one.
- So I'm going to go pick up the hard copy of that one.
- There's no like hard copy of them.
- Like they'll put their books up on Amazon and sell it both as a hard copy and digitally, like, you know, read it on the Kindle, right?
- And it's worth, you know, marking it up and, and, you know, having the hard copy writing in the the side notes, side margins.
- I mean, there's such a seismic shift in the ability to distribute, you know, your own work, whether through digital downloads or hard copies.
- So I read this actual like hard copy Reddit.
Examples
-
Please print a hard copy of this document for our records.
-
The Executive Council received a hard copy and an electronic copy via email to review and offer feedback.
Academic text (2012) -
Yes, I have the hard copy here.
-
Do you have the hard copy images?
-
Either way, this process gives students a hard copy of the music.
Academic text (2005) -
The vision statement is available on its website and published in a hard copy version.
Academic text (2007) -
Everybody likes the convenience of a hard copy.
-
After all five decisions are made, students print a hard copy of their results for teacher evaluation.
Academic text (1992) -
Yeah, but lucky for us, I've got hard copies for each student.
-
The fifth-grade class sent hard copies of their projects, which were reviewed by their university partners.
Academic text (2013)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A paper or file that is the same as the original
19
1.0
A copy of a document or picture made by a copy machine
4
3.0
A copy of a paper made at the same time as the original
A copy of a document made with a photocopier
How Physical
20
3.1
40
2.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a printed or physical version' is directly derivable from combining 'hard' (solid/physical) with 'copy' (a duplicate document). The metaphorical extension of 'hard' to mean physical (as opposed to a digital/’soft’ copy) is common cross-linguistically and should be immediately clear to a B1 learner who knows both words.
Etymology
Hard copy comes from the contrast between a paper version you can hold and a 'soft' file on a computer. A hard copy is a printed piece of paper you can hold, so the phrase now means a printed or typed version of something that was on a computer.