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

But the film is a potent, vital document, and what is at stake is considerable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

The government is then expected to respond by the end of the year and publish a policy document setting out proposals, and legislation next year.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

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

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

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

But when applied carefully and discreetly, document and handwriting analysis could be helpful.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

However, Newton’s property management company claimed in court documents that Jackson ceased paying rent on the dwelling and owed 11 months in back rent by the time the case was heard in court.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

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

Argentine authorities said they presented valid travel documents and faced no legal restrictions on entering the country.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

When he failed to surrender his passports in time to meet a 24-hour deadline, Brazilian authorities cancelled the documents and ordered police to make checks at border posts.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

As William saw it, many of the newly restricted documents had only historic value.

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

As a result, court astronomers carefully documented changes in the sky.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 26, 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

In fact, now that the subsequent fruits of those visits have become well documented, there seems little reason not to reveal that I am talking of Lord Halifax.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro

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

I put it to him that some women were now documenting harassment on social media because they were afraid to report it to police.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Paul, meanwhile, was in a period of uncharacteristic autobiographical directness in his lyric-writing, documenting his grievances with his actor girlfriend Jane Asher while residing in her family’s London home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 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

So between the ceremonies and events and the reporters documenting my every move as I presided and thanked and kissed Peeta for the audience, I had no privacy at all.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

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Related Words

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• testimony

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