A file that has been logically, but not necessarily physically, erased from the operating system, perhaps to eliminate potentially incriminating evidence. Deleting files does not always necessarily eliminate the possibility of recovering all or part of the original data.
Sources:
CNSSI 4009-2015
from
NIST SP 800-72
NIST SP 800-101 Rev. 1
under Deleted File
NIST SP 800-72
under Deleted File