A good answer might be:

A file is a semi-permanent, named collection of information.

Files

A file is a semi-permanent, named collection of information.

Notice that this is a "conceptual" definition of what a file is. It says what a file is and how it is used. A file can be implemented in many different ways: as sections of a hard disk, as sections of a floppy disk, as part of a magnetic tape, and in other ways.

QUESTION 2:

Is there another way (other than files) in a computer system to keep information semi-permanently?