filename

IPA/ˈfaɪlneɪm/
KK[fˈaɪlnˌem]IPA/ˈfaɪlneɪm/

filename — noun

  • filenamesingular
  • filenamesplural

1. a label made up of letters, numbers, or other symbols that you choose for a digi

1.nounB1
Definition

a label made up of letters, numbers, or other symbols that you choose for a digital file so you can find it later among other documents stored on a computer or device.

Example

Gabriel saved his essay with the filename final_draft_v3.docx.

collocation: save + with + filename

Choose a filename that helps you remember what is inside the document.

collocation: choose + filename

Common collocations
  • choose a filename
  • save with a filename
  • rename a filename
  • filename contains
  • filename ends with
  • clear filename
  • long filename
Synonyms
  • file name

    spelled as two words; identical in meaning and interchangeable in all contexts.

Grammar Patterns

filename + verb (e.g. filename contains, filename ends with)

verb + filename (e.g. choose a filename, save with a filename, rename a filename)

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Filename, file name (two words), file path, and file extension all relate to identifying files on a computer, but they refer to different things. Filename (or file name — both are correct and interchangeable) is the label you give a document, such as report_2025.pdf. A file path is the full address showing where the file is stored on a computer, for example C:\Documents\report_2025.pdf. A file extension is the suffix after the dot, such as .pdf or .docx, which tells the system what type of file it is. So while you might say 'Save it with a clear filename like draft_v2.docx,' you would not say 'Save it with a clear file path' — the path is determined by where you save it, not chosen by you.

file namefile pathfile extension

Common collocations

Nouns

  • filename extension
  • filename convention
  • filename length

Phrases

  • save under a filename
  • rename a filename
  • choose a filename

Prepositions

  • under a filename
  • with a filename

Etymology

LatinOld EnglishEnglish

Filename is a compound of file (from Latin filum 'thread', used in the 1500s for a wire on which papers were hung for storage, and later for any organised collection of documents) and name (from Old English nama, meaning the word by which something is known). The computer sense of file dates to the 1950s, and the compound filename appeared soon after as operating systems needed a way for users to label stored data.