documentation

American  

[dok-yuh-men-tey-shuhn, -muhn-] / ˌdɒk yə mɛnˈteɪ ʃən, -mən- /

noun

1. the use of documentary evidence.

2. a furnishing with documents, as to substantiate a claim or the data in a book or article.

3. Computers. manuals, listings, diagrams, and other hard- or soft-copy written and graphic materials that describe the use, operation, maintenance, or design of software or hardware.

   The documentation for the driver program is displayed on the screen.

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documentation British  

/ ˌdɒkjʊmɛnˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of supplying with or using documents or references

2. the documents or references supplied

3. the furnishing and use of documentary evidence, as in a court of law

4. computing the written comments, graphical illustrations, flowcharts, manuals, etc, supplied with a program or software system

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Other Word Forms

• documentational adjective

Etymology

Origin of documentation

First recorded in 1745–55; document + -ation

Explanation

Your driver's license is documentation of your age, address, and that you have passed the tests required to drive a car. Documentation is certifiable proof, or a set of official documents. Your new computer probably came with a packet of documentation that shows you how to use it and explains what to do when it breaks. In this sense, documentation means the official documents of your computer. If you are the person preparing a packet of information about how to use a computer program to keep attendance at school, you are preparing the documentation of that process.

Example Sentences

The protest erupted after federal agents conducted simultaneous immigration raids at the company’s Camarillo and Carpinteria locations, arresting more than 300 workers without documentation.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

In addition to increased documentation requirements and the rollback of administrative improvements, the way states and participants interact has been fundamentally altered by the passage of H.R.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

According to Walter Isaacson's biography of Jobs, Wayne, an engineer at the Atari video game company, was in charge of hardware engineering and documentation in the fledgling business.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Immigration attorneys must produce all sorts of documentation, witness testimony, and evidence, often also requiring translations, that then require a lengthy hearing in front of a judge.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

The examination, done in the summer and fall of 1982, turned up startling news: $108 million in loans—8 percent of the total—was overdue; $357 million in loans—26 percent of the total—-did not have sufficient documentation.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Related Words

• affidavit
• authentication
• authorization
• certification
• coupon
• credential
• deed
• diploma
• guarantee
• license
• paper
• permit
• receipt
• ticket
• voucher
• warrant
• warranty