A hard copy is a printed version of something that exists on a computer or other electronic device. When you print out an essay you wrote on your computer, that printed paper is a hard copy. When your teacher asks you to turn in a hard copy of your report, she wants the physical paper version, not an email or digital file.

Hard copies have some advantages: you can read them without a device, write notes in the margins with a pen, and they won't disappear if your computer crashes. But they also take up physical space and can't be easily changed once printed. If you find a mistake in a hard copy, you need to print a new one, while a digital version can be edited instantly.

Today, many things that used to require hard copies, like permission slips, medical records, and homework, can be handled digitally. But hard copies still matter: important documents like birth certificates and signed contracts are often kept as hard copies because they can serve as permanent, official records.