document
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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.
-
Digital Technology. a computer data file, especially one with formatted text.
Luckily, I saved my document right before the power went out.
-
Archaic. evidence; proof.
verb (used with object)
-
to furnish with documents.
-
to furnish with references, citations, etc., in support of statements made.
a carefully documented biography.
- Synonyms:
- validate, substantiate, verify, corroborate
-
to support by documentary evidence.
to document a case.
-
Nautical. to provide (a vessel) with a certificate giving particulars concerning nationality, ownership, tonnage, dimensions, etc.
-
Obsolete. to instruct.
noun
-
a piece of paper, booklet, etc, providing information, esp of an official or legal nature
-
a piece of text or text and graphics stored in a computer as a file for manipulation by document processing software
-
archaic evidence; proof
verb
-
to record or report in detail, as in the press, on television, etc
the trial was well documented by the media
-
to support (statements in a book) with citations, references, etc
-
to support (a claim, etc) with evidence or proof
-
to furnish (a vessel) with official documents specifying its ownership, registration, weight, dimensions, and function
Other Word Forms
- documentable adjective
- documenter noun
- nondocumented adjective
- redocument verb (used with object)
- well-documented adjective
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
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.
However, if the original house was owned by the trust, the sale proceeds would legally need to go back into the trust unless the trust document gives the trustee discretion to reinvest them elsewhere.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
Like the new federal dietary guidelines released back in January, the document cautions against processed foods and refined sugars.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
"We have to document it. We have to take photos of everything."
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
Filmmaker David Kew arrived on the island in February 2017 to document the Papay Gyro Nights festival, set up seven years before by his friend Sergei Ivanov and his partner Tszman Chan.
From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026
None of the document names mattered; none of the agents acted human at any point in the story.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
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.
