Ask Difference

Filed vs. Filled — What's the Difference?

By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on August 21, 2023
Filed refers to having submitted or organized documents; filled means to occupy or load a space or object with something.

Difference Between Filed and Filled

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Key Differences

Filed is predominantly associated with the action of presenting or organizing documents. When someone says they "filed a report," they mean they have officially submitted that report to the relevant authorities. On the contrary, filled is more versatile in its usage, often denoting the action of occupying or loading a space or object. For example, a glass can be filled with water.
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 21, 2023
In a bureaucratic context, if a person has "filed" paperwork, they have submitted it for review or documentation. In contrast, when someone says a room is "filled" with people, they're emphasizing the room's capacity or that it's densely occupied.
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 21, 2023
Furthermore, "filed" can also suggest a sense of organization. In offices, documents are often filed into specific categories for easier access. Whereas "filled" can be used in different contexts. For instance, a form can be filled out, meaning all necessary fields have been completed.
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 21, 2023
Lastly, the word "filed" has a more formal tone and is often related to official, organized actions. The term "filled," meanwhile, is broader and can be applied in various everyday situations, like when a bucket is filled with sand or when a person's heart is filled with emotion.
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Aug 21, 2023

Comparison Chart

Primary Meaning

Submission or organization of papers
Occupying or loading a space with something
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Part of Speech

Verb (past tense of "file")
Verb (past tense of "fill")
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Contextual Usage

Bureaucratic or official settings
Broad ranging from physical to emotional
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Associated Action

Storing or arranging
Completing or occupying
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Tone

Formal
Neutral
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Compare with Definitions

Filed

Organized in an orderly manner
All the invoices are filed alphabetically.
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Filled

Occupied to capacity
The theater was filled with excited fans.
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Filed

Entered a legal document in the official registry
The attorney filed the lawsuit on Monday.
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Filled

Completed the required sections
She filled the application form carefully.
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Filed

Placed in a specific category
The new data was filed under Miscellaneous.
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Filled

Loaded with a particular quality
His voice filled with emotion as he spoke.
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Filed

Used a file on something to smooth or shape it
He filed his nails before the photoshoot.
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Filled

Satisfied or met a requirement
The new hire filled a vacant position.
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Filed

Submitted officially
She filed her application last week.
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Filled

To put something into (a container, for example) to capacity or to a desired level
Fill a glass with milk.
Filled the tub with water.
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Filed

A container, such as a cabinet or folder, for keeping papers in order.
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Filled

An amount needed to make full, complete, or satisfied
Eat one's fill.
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Filed

A collection of papers or published materials kept or arranged in convenient order.
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Filled

Became pervasive in a space
The aroma of fresh bread filled the room.
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Filed

(Games) Any of the rows of squares that run forward and backward between players on a playing board in chess or checkers.
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Filled

To supply or provide to the fullest extent
Filled the mall with new stores.
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Filed

To send or submit (copy) to a newspaper.
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Filled

To repair a cavity of (a tooth).
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Filed

(Computers) A collection of data or program records stored as a unit with a single name.
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Filled

To add a foreign substance to (cloth or wood, for example).
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Filed

A line of persons, animals, or things positioned one behind the other.
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Filled

To flow or move into (a container or area), often to capacity
Water is filling the basement. Fans are filling the stadium.
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Filed

A line of troops or military vehicles so positioned.
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Filled

To pervade
Music filled the room.
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Filed

(Archaic) A list or roll.
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Filled

To satiate, as with food and drink
The guests filled themselves with pie.
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Filed

Any of several hardened steel tools with cutting ridges for forming, smoothing, or reducing especially metallic surfaces.
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Filled

To engage or occupy completely
A song that filled me with nostalgia.
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Filed

A nail file.
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Filled

To satisfy or meet; fulfill
Fill the requirements.
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Filed

Chiefly British A crafty or artful person.
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Filled

To supply what is specified by or required for
Fill a prescription.
Fill an order.
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Filed

To put or keep (papers, for example) in useful order for storage or reference.
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Filled

To put a person into (a job or position)
We filled the job with a new hire.
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Filed

To enter (a legal document) as an official record.
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Filled

To discharge the duties of; occupy
How long has she filled that post?.
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Filed

To march or walk in a line.
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Filled

To cover the surface of (an inexpensive metal) with a layer of precious metal, such as gold.
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Filed

To put items in a file.
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Filled

To cause (a sail) to swell.
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Filed

To make application; apply
Filed for a job with the state.
File for a divorce.
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Filled

To adjust (a yard) so that wind will cause a sail to swell.
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Filed

To enter one's name in a political contest
Filed for Congress.
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Filled

To become full
The basement is filling with water.
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Filed

To smooth, reduce, or remove with or as if with a file.
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Filled

Material for filling a container, cavity, or passage.
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Filed

To sully or defile.
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Filled

A built-up piece of land; an embankment.
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Filed

Simple past tense and past participle of file
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Filled

The material, such as earth or gravel, used for this.
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Filed

To initiate (a lawsuit)
File a complaint.
File charges.
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Filled

(followed by with) That is now full.
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Filled

Simple past tense and past participle of fill.
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Filled

Containing as much or as many as is possible or normal; as, filled to overflowing. Opposite of empty.
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Filled

Entirely of one substance with no holes inside. Opposite of hollow.
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Filled

Having appointments throughout the course of a period; - of an appointment schedule; as, My calendar is filled for the week. Opposite of unoccupied and free
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Filled

(usually followed by `with' or used as a combining form) generously supplied with;
Theirs was a house filled with laughter
A large hall filled with rows of desks
Fog-filled air
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Filled

(of time) taken up;
Well-filled hours
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Filled

To build up the level of (low-lying land) with material such as earth or gravel.
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Filled

To stop or plug up (an opening, for example).
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Common Curiosities

Is "filed" always related to paperwork?

No, while "filed" often refers to the submission or organization of documents, it can also mean to smooth or shape something using a file.
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Aug 21, 2023

Can "filled" be used in emotional contexts?

Yes, "filled" can describe both tangible and intangible aspects, such as "filled with joy" or "filled with dread."
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Do "filed" and "filled" have similar root words?

No, "filed" is derived from "file," meaning to arrange or present documents, while "filled" comes from "fill," meaning to occupy space.
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Aug 21, 2023

How do I know when to use "filed" vs. "filled" in a sentence?

Consider the context: "filed" usually pertains to documents or the use of a file tool, while "filled" relates to occupying or completing space.
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Aug 21, 2023

Can something be both "filed" and "filled"?

Yes, a document can be "filed" in an office and also be "filled" with information.
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Aug 21, 2023

Which word is broader in its application?

"Filled" has a broader application since it can be used in various contexts, from filling a space physically to denoting emotional states.
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Is "filed away" a common phrase?

Yes, "filed away" typically means to store or organize something, usually documents, for future reference.
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Can "filled" describe a temporary state?

Yes, something can be filled temporarily, like a room filled with people for a meeting, which will later empty.
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Is "filed" only used in the past tense?

No, "filed" is the past tense of "file." However, "file" can be used in various tenses like "filing" (present participle) or "will file" (future tense).
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 21, 2023

If I "fill" a form and submit it, have I "filed" it?

Filling a form means completing the required fields. Submitting it, especially to an official body or in an organized manner, can be considered "filing" it.
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Aug 21, 2023

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Tayyaba Rehman
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.

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