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

She added she since changed her "usual practice" to ensure she checked her documentation and created new risk assessment forms in the system, instead of updating existing forms.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

For David, navigating this process meant spending 10 hours on the phone and resubmitting the same clinical documentation three times.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

Under Amazon’s new GLP-1 program, patients would receive pre-visit screening, consultations and follow-up visits with integrated monitoring, standardized documentation and treatment algorithms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

“State voter registration systems aren’t set up to contain a record of what documentation has been presented. There’s a huge IT component to this,” Diaz said.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026

Why was she so obsessively thorough in her documentation?

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman

Related Words

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