Duplicates defined

What exactly, are duplicate files? Simply put, this phrase refers to identical files that exist in 2 or more copies on the disk. Since the files are the same, only the user can determine which copy is the "original" that should be retained when deleting some or all of the extra copies.

For example, if two instances of a file are found, one of them is the original, the other a copy. When either of them is deleted, then only one instance remains (and is therefore removed from the list of duplicates in AcuteFinder).

Even though this definition is disputable, then the use of "duplicate file finder" and "duplicate files" has become a defacto standard on the Internet. In this user manual, we will therefore use this word, along with synonyms like "identical", "extra copies", and "multiple instances".

Finally, the word duplicate is defined in the following way, according to the Free Dictionary:

du·pli·cate

adj.

1. Identically copied from an original.

2. Existing or growing in two corresponding parts; double.

3. Denoting a manner of play in cards in which partnerships or teams play the same deals and compare scores at the end: duplicate bridge.

n.

1. An identical copy; a facsimile.

2. One that corresponds exactly to another, especially an original.

3. Games A card game in which partnerships or teams play the same deals and compare scores at the end.