document

American  

[dok-yuh-muhnt, dok-yuh-ment] / ˈdɒk jə mənt, ˈdɒk jəˌmɛnt /

noun

• documents
  plural

1. a written or printed paper furnishing information or evidence, as a passport, deed, bill of sale, or bill of lading; a legal or official paper.

   You'll need documents from your employers and your bank to prepare your income tax return.

2. any written item, as a book, article, or letter, especially of a factual or informative nature.

   The leaked document proves that the management team knew about the safety issues before the product launch.

3. Digital Technology. a computer data file, especially one with formatted text.

   Luckily, I saved my document right before the power went out.

4. Archaic. evidence; proof.

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verb (used with object)

• documents,
  present (3rd person singular)
• documented,
  past participle,  past
• documenting
  present participle

1. to furnish with documents.

2. to furnish with references, citations, etc., in support of statements made.

   a carefully documented biography.

   Synonyms:

   validate, substantiate, verify, corroborate

3. to support by documentary evidence.

   to document a case.

4. Nautical. to provide (a vessel) with a certificate giving particulars concerning nationality, ownership, tonnage, dimensions, etc.

5. Obsolete. to instruct.

document British  

noun

1. a piece of paper, booklet, etc, providing information, esp of an official or legal nature

2. a piece of text or text and graphics stored in a computer as a file for manipulation by document processing software

3. archaic evidence; proof

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verb

1. to record or report in detail, as in the press, on television, etc

   the trial was well documented by the media

2. to support (statements in a book) with citations, references, etc

3. to support (a claim, etc) with evidence or proof

4. to furnish (a vessel) with official documents specifying its ownership, registration, weight, dimensions, and function

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• documenter
  noun
• redocument
  verb (used with object)
• documentable
  adjective
• nondocumented
  adjective
• well-documented
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• documents
  plural

Participles

• documenting
  present
• documented
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• document
  simple
• documents
  simple
• have documented
  perfect
• has documented
  perfect
• am documenting
  progressive
• are documenting
  progressive
• is documenting
  progressive
• have been documenting
  perfect progressive
• has been documenting
  perfect progressive

Past

• documented
  simple
• had documented
  perfect
• was documenting
  progressive
• were documenting
  progressive
• had been documenting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will document
  simple
• will have documented
  perfect
• will be documenting
  progressive
• will have been documenting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of document

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin documentum “example (as precedent, warning, etc.),” from doc(ēre) “to teach” + -u- (variant of -i- -i- before labials) + -mentum -ment

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Explanation

A document is a piece of paper that contains official information. Don't you wish you had a document saying that the bank owed you $5 million? Document comes from the Latin verb meaning "to teach," so a document instructs you with the information it contains. Legal documents such as contracts contain instructions on how the people signing it will act. Passports, driver’s licenses and birth certificates are all official documents. As a verb, document means "to record in detail," or "offer supporting evidence for." If you call a company to complain about something, make sure to document your phone calls by noting the date you called, who you spoke to and what was said.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

document documents documented documenting

That’s not to say that Anthropic will go down the same path, only that writing worthy intentions into an official document isn’t the same as writing them into stone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

The campaign puts clergy, veterans, teachers and other volunteers at voting stations where they will explain voting rights, try to de-escalate confrontations and document intimidation or other misconduct.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026

The artificial-intelligence lab on Monday filed its prospectus for an initial public offering, a massive document outlining both its ambitions and the general state of the business.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026

Even with frontier model assistance, a mind-bending investment of time and effort went into preparation of the roughly 400-page document paving the way for the AI lab’s historic IPO.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

In the late 1950s, White contemplated writing a story to document the case.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

A police source told AFP that Flavio Bolsonaro's Brazilian and diplomatic passports had been canceled, but the senator has held Italian nationality since 2023, according to Italian documents seen by AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

Application documents show the site was previously classed as being used for storage only, but was actually being used for both storage and manufacturing.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

Comey said in court documents that she asked then-U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

IRS documents show that the club and foundation are associated organizations and share at least two key executives.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026

Unmoved, the NSA decided to take back the documents anyway.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Wurman said, neighbors have documented numerous instances of unsanitary behavior, including public urination and defecation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

They have documented a surge in threats against Australian lawmakers in recent years -- with 1,067 incidents reported to police in 2025 alone.

From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026

Shad Ahmed, 31, has documented his visits to dozens of all-you-can-eat buffets in the New York area on social media, including two to Fogo de Chão, where he had the churrasco experience.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026

They added a new draft human remains policy proposed that they were only displayed "where there is documented and informed consent from the deceased individual or, in appropriate circumstances, their descendants".

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

It’s well documented among animals, notably our closest relatives, the chimpanzees and bonobos.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

I’m thinking ahead to my 2026 Form 1040 tax filing and have a question about documenting qualified 529 plan expenses.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2026

From the nerves before the ceremony to the tears of laughter during the best man's speech, Jade Burton is documenting every moment on her smartphone.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

Many of the materials detailing and documenting the incident haven’t been released publicly by the Sheriff’s Department.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Maintaining clear communication, transparency and documenting the arrangement helps prevent misunderstandings and jealousy among siblings and ensures that the parents’ wishes are honored.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

This photograph from September 1862 was taken by Alexander Gardner, who worked for Mathew Brady in documenting the Civil War.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

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Related Words

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