document

[ noun dok-yuh-muhnt; verb dok-yuh-ment ]

noun

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.

verb (used with object)

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

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

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 Words From

• doc·u·ment·a·ble [dok, -y, uh, -men-t, uh, -b, uh, l, dok-y, uh, -, men, -], adjective
• docu·menter noun
• non·docu·mented adjective noun
• re·docu·ment verb (used with object)
• well-docu·mented adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of document¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of document¹

C15: from Latin documentum a lesson, from docēre to teach

Example Sentences

The results are the strongest case ever documented of an iconic correspondence between speech sounds and properties related to our senses of touch and vision.

From Science Daily

But the 17-page document, which is expected to head to the Senate next week, is sparse on detail.

From BBC

Deputy US ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, said the document "abandoned" the necessity for there to be "a linkage between a ceasefire and the release of hostages".

From BBC

The customs documents obtained by the BBC suggest that Rama Group made two shipments to Moscow of high-end optics that can be used in missiles, tanks and aircraft.

From BBC

Mr Acutis gained his nickname partly by designing websites for his parish and school, but he mainly became known for launching a website seeking to document every reported Eucharistic miracle.

From BBC

Related Words

• chronicle
• cite
• detail