NFC
4 synonyms and 0 antonyms for NFC, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A short-range wireless technology that lets two devices exchange a small amount of data when they are touching or held within a few centimetres of each other, used for things like tap-to-pay cards, travel passes and electronic door keys.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A short-range wireless technology that lets two devices exchange a small amount of data when they are touching or held within a few centimetres of each other, used for things like tap-to-pay cards, travel passes and electronic door keys.
“Tap your phone against the reader — it uses NFC, so you have to be almost touching it.”
2. adjective
Describing a device, card or tag that supports this technology.
“Most modern bank cards are NFC enabled.”
How to Use Nfc
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Technical in origin but now widely met by ordinary users through contactless payment. Almost always written as the initialism.
Etymology
An initialism of near-field communication, describing the very short range over which the signal operates.
Full origin of NFC →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between NFC and Bluetooth?
NFC works only over a few centimetres and is designed for a quick exchange of a small amount of data, such as a payment or an ID. Bluetooth works over several metres and keeps a longer-lived connection for things like headphones or a keyboard. The very short range of NFC is deliberate, because it means a device must be deliberately presented to a reader.
Is NFC the same as RFID?
NFC is built on the same underlying idea as RFID, in which a reader powers and reads a nearby tag by radio. NFC is a narrower set of standards that works at very short range and allows both devices to act as reader or tag, which is what makes phone payments possible.
Does NFC need a battery in the tag?
Not usually. A passive NFC tag or card has no battery of its own; it draws the tiny amount of power it needs from the radio field produced by the reader.