RTF

5 synonyms and 1 antonym for RTF, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A document file format that stores formatted text — things like bold, italics, fonts and margins — in a way that a very wide range of word processors can open, developed by Microsoft as a common ground between different programs.

Synonyms

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

rich text Rich Text Format document format interchange format rich text file

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun technical, computing

A document file format that stores formatted text — things like bold, italics, fonts and margins — in a way that a very wide range of word processors can open, developed by Microsoft as a common ground between different programs.

“Send it as RTF and anyone should be able to open it, whatever they use.”

rich text Rich Text Format document format interchange format

Opposites

plain text

2. noun technical, computing

A file saved in that format, normally ending in .rtf.

“I found a folder of RTFs from an ancient version of Word.”

rich text file

How to use RTF

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

RTF file save as RTF RTF format export to RTF

Technical. Written in capitals; the extension is lower case (.rtf).

Etymology

An initialism of Rich Text Format.

Full origin of RTF →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between RTF and TXT?

A .txt file holds nothing but the characters themselves — no bold, no fonts, no sizes. RTF keeps the characters and the formatting instructions alongside them, so headings and italics survive. Both are readable as plain characters if you open them in a code editor, but RTF's formatting shows up as strings of control codes.

What is the difference between RTF and DOCX?

DOCX is Microsoft Word's current format and supports far more: tracked changes, comments, complex tables, embedded objects and modern styling. RTF is much older and simpler, and carries only basic formatting, but almost any word processor on any system can read it. RTF is now largely a legacy and compatibility format.

Is RTF still used?

Rarely for new documents, but it survives where broad compatibility matters more than features — some legal and government systems, older transcription workflows, and text boxes in applications that need simple formatting. Microsoft stopped adding to the specification years ago.

Nearby words

← Back to the full definition of RTF