Syntax
UPPERCASE words are placeholders to replace. Brackets in the syntax line describe optional arguments; do not type those brackets literally.
printf FORMAT [ARGUMENTS...]Example
printf "%s\n" "hello world"Expected result
hello world followed by a newline.
Notes and traps
Keep the format string fixed. Put untrusted data in arguments, not in the format.
Related commands
Related tasks may need different flags and have different semantics. Check the entry before translating a command between shells.
Official reference ↗Updated 13 September 2026. Examples describe the expected behavior; not every platform is available for execution testing.