document
Americannoun
-
documents
plural
-
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)
-
documents,
present (3rd person singular)
-
documented,
past participle, past
-
documenting
present participle
-
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
Derived Forms
-
documenternoun
-
redocumentverb (used with object)
-
documentableadjective
-
nondocumentedadjective
-
well-documentedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
documentsimple
-
documentssimple
-
have documentedperfect
-
has documentedperfect
-
am documentingprogressive
-
are documentingprogressive
-
is documentingprogressive
-
have been documentingperfect progressive
-
has been documentingperfect progressive
Past
-
documentedsimple
-
had documentedperfect
-
was documentingprogressive
-
were documentingprogressive
-
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)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Word Generation Social Studies - Complex Questions Related to American Democracy
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Lesson 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
"We wish to clarify that the document and information in question do not originate from official sources and are untrue," it said on Telegram.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
She allegedly flew to Seattle on September 1, 2025, rented a black Nissan and drove to Lai's son's home, according to a court document seen by AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
The task force’s charter document states it will “develop plans for responding to SI-enabled threats to our society, while preventing overregulation and regulatory capture that would stifle innovation and competition.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
He argues the technology could modernize court infrastructure, aiding in case management, scheduling and document processing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Although not reaching the virtuosic literary heights of incarceration essays penned by writers such as Thoreau or Martin Luther King Jr., the document was an oddly compelling account of the execrable details of his experience.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Local media say Hanning's alleged possession of intelligence documents came to light during a separate case relating to German steakhouse heiress Christina Block.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Swanson had to dig up multiple documents to kick-start his refund claims at DHL and FedEx, register with U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
Other than our contact information, we had to upload just two documents — one detailing our proposed tuition and fees, and the other with our refund policy.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
On the one hand, they can’t defend the behaviors she documents without showing themselves to be cynical and uncaring.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird appeared on television condemning the newspaper for printing secret military documents.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
The spokesperson did not comment on whether this specific proposal violated city rules but noted that documented proposals require a professional photography permit and said that proposals that include set-ups and structures are not allowed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
"You can swim for hours and hours along the reef in the lagoon, just skeleton after skeleton. It's all dead," said marine biologist Austin Bowden-Kerby, who visited last year and documented the devastation.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
Beane has documented how the dynamic in surgery plays out in other industries, like investment banking and startups, and he sees it across industries with AI now.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
"People think black people haven't been there. It's like, well, we probably have been, the question is whether it was documented properly."
From BBC ● Sep. 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
Dr. Jones said: "These findings demonstrate the importance of protecting threatened ecosystems and documenting Australia's extraordinary biodiversity before we lose species without us having even discovered them."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
For example, a recent Reuters report documenting the carrier’s port stop states, “Typically naval deployments are for between six and nine months, but those can be extended during times of conflict.”
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
It’s what happens when you’ve dumped out decades’ worth of memories and stories as part of your life’s work documenting the origins of punk rock for the better part of 50 years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
I mean climate change is real, I've spent a 25-year career telling people it is real and documenting its impact on the region: Floods, dry spells, heatwaves and more.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
My parents weren’t very good about documenting my childhood; my older brother got all the video footage, including his first seven poops.
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
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.
