NFC
n. uncountablen. Stands for Near Field Communication. A way for two electronic devices to talk to each other when they are very close together. You use it for things like paying with your phone or tapping a card on a reader. In computing, NFC stands for Unicode Normalization Form C, which is a way to make sure text characters look the same and are stored consistently.
n. Abbreviation for Near Field Communication. A set of communication protocols that enables two electronic devices to establish communication by bringing them within very close proximity. Often used for contactless payment systems and data exchange between mobile devices. In software development and character encoding, NFC (Normalization Form C) is a process that combines characters with their modifiers into a single, canonical form to ensure data consistency.
My phone uses NFC to pay for groceries.
The museum uses NFC tags next to the paintings so visitors can get more information on their smartphones.
While Bluetooth is better for long-range audio streaming, NFC is preferred for secure transactions because the devices must be physically close to initiate a connection.
Usually functions as an initialism for 'Near Field Communication'; often used as a modifier before another noun like 'chip', 'tag', or 'technology'.
Last updated July 22, 2026