Definition:

PDF stands for “portable document format”. It is a file format that was created by Adobe as a way to store documents for exchanging. The PDF format was meant to be independent of the hardware or platform it was being viewed on.

In many ways, a PDF document was intended to be a digital print out of a document. Like a paper print out, it cannot be readily changed (without appropriate software) and looks the same no matter what operating system displays it.

Alternate Spellings: Portable Document Format