document
Americannoun
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documents
plural
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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.
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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.
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Digital Technology. a computer data file, especially one with formatted text.
Luckily, I saved my document right before the power went out.
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Archaic. evidence; proof.
verb (used with object)
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documents,
present (3rd person singular)
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documented,
past participle, past
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documenting
present participle
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to furnish with documents.
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to furnish with references, citations, etc., in support of statements made.
a carefully documented biography.
- Synonyms:
- validate, substantiate, verify, corroborate
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to support by documentary evidence.
to document a case.
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Nautical. to provide (a vessel) with a certificate giving particulars concerning nationality, ownership, tonnage, dimensions, etc.
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Obsolete. to instruct.
noun
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a piece of paper, booklet, etc, providing information, esp of an official or legal nature
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a piece of text or text and graphics stored in a computer as a file for manipulation by document processing software
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archaic evidence; proof
verb
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to record or report in detail, as in the press, on television, etc
the trial was well documented by the media
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to support (statements in a book) with citations, references, etc
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to support (a claim, etc) with evidence or proof
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to furnish (a vessel) with official documents specifying its ownership, registration, weight, dimensions, and function
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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documenternoun
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redocumentverb (used with object)
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documentableadjective
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nondocumentedadjective
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well-documentedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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documentsimple
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documentssimple
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have documentedperfect
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has documentedperfect
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am documentingprogressive
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are documentingprogressive
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is documentingprogressive
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have been documentingperfect progressive
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has been documentingperfect progressive
Past
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documentedsimple
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had documentedperfect
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was documentingprogressive
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were documentingprogressive
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had been documentingperfect progressive
Future
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
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.
Vocabulary lists containing document
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade 11)
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Word Generation Social Studies - Complex Questions Related to American Democracy
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Lesson 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Despite zero filming, graphics or editing experience, they decided to document their journey on social media as Tastebuds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
A draft document did not surface until June.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
The document was released as part of a consultation into how many hours should eventually fall under the new rules.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
After signatures close, the document will be introduced in the House of Commons by lone Green Party lawmaker Elizabeth May.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
“Like most people,” Violet said, “I am right-handed. But I signed the document with my left hand.”
From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket
Meta has fought aggressively to restrict not only when documents can be introduced in the upcoming federal trial, but how.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
When court documents were unsealed last month it also emerged books were being destroyed in the process of training Anthropic's AI chatbot, Claude.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
The documents included no explanation of how that number was calculated.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Court documents show Rinderknecht tried to call 911 seconds after cameras firsts spotted the flames.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Passed in 1917, this law states that anyone who “willfully communicates or transmits” documents related to national defense to others who are not authorized to see them can be fined and/or sent to prison.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
I now know that the broccoli florets in my hand have a documented connection to Taylor Farms.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
He claims the data actually documented a 82% rate, which is false.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The best documented and maybe saddest story is that of a bear named “Monarch.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
The whole process was documented by the matchmaking agency in a series of glossy photos, which they also use to advertise their services on Chinese social media.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Combined with her online profile, it basically documented her entire life.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
To break out of their rut, they began working their way through the cuisines of every country in the world at local restaurants and documenting their experience on social media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
While the President was en route to California, authorities announced the arrest of an armed man who had been spotted suspiciously documenting security preparations at the golf course Sunday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
"They have endured targeting, imprisonment, exile, and surveillance for simply reporting the news. It is an honor to recognize their commitment to documenting the truth."
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Companies usually only resort to putting an employee on a PIP if they’re close to being fired and the company needs to create a paper trail documenting poor performance.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Johnson describes her actions during the war, but also details all the things Joey did for the patients at Tala, documenting it for perpetuity in the Congressional Record.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
