folder

American  

[fohl-der] / ˈfoʊl dər /

noun

1. a person or thing that folds.

2. a printed sheet, as a circular or timetable, folded into a number of usually pagelike sections.

3. a folded sheet of light cardboard used to cover or hold papers, letters, etc., as in a file.

4. Computers. directory.

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folder British  

/ ˈfəʊldə /

noun

1. a binder or file for holding loose papers, etc

2. a folded circular

3. a machine for folding printed sheets

4. a person or thing that folds

5. computing another name for directory

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Etymology

Origin of folder

First recorded in 1545–55; fold ¹ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Regulars had their usual jotted down in shorthand and kept in a folder to be used as soon as they walked in.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Rieseberg became a first-time dad in January and has used Cowork to keep track of and analyze a large folder of medical records.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

His manager showed him the folder that contained the precious trade secret, before locking it away once more.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

A good checklist is to go to last year’s tax folder and see what you ended up with in there, and try to match everything with new documents.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 2026

She put my take-home folder on the table.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

Related Words

• binder
• file
• pocket