documentation

noun doc·u·men·ta·tion \ -mən-ˈtā-shən , -ˌmen- \

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Examples: documentation in a Sentence

Definition of documentation

1 : the act or an instance of furnishing or authenticating with documents

2 a : the provision of documents in substantiation; also : documentary evidence

b (1) : the use of historical documents

(2) : conformity to historical or objective facts

(3) : the provision of footnotes, appendices, or addenda referring to or containing documentary evidence

3 : information science

4 : the usually printed instructions, comments, and information for using a particular piece or system of computer software or hardware

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documentational

play \-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl\ adjective

See documentation defined for English-language learners

See documentation defined for kids

Examples of documentation in a Sentence

You cannot visit the country unless you have the proper documentation.
Keep your receipts as documentation of your purchases.
Can you provide documentation of the claims you're making?
The program's documentation is poorly written.

Recent Examples of documentation from the Web

With support from his main sponsor, Salomon, and help from his friend Montaz-Rosset, Jornet produced impressive documentation of each mission: photos, blog posts, data, and several films.

— nick heil, Outside Online, "Are Kilian Jornet's Speed Records Too Good to Be True?," 12 July 2018
Many people are coming into the DMV without appointments and without documentation, causing big delays, officials said.

— michael cabanatuan, SFChronicle.com, "DMV investigates startup that has disrupted appointment process," 11 July 2018
The forms request basic information, such as date and city of birth, but also require documentation that the people, who are often poor, may not have, such as a passport.

— los angeles times staff, latimes.com, "U.S. government is asking immigrant parents separated from their children to fill out this lengthy form," 11 July 2018
In response to this disheartening prognosis, many communities have committed to reinvigorating their languages through documentation, immersive education and other measures.

— adam cohen, Smithsonian, "This Musician’s Songs Give Powerful Voice to a Language in Crisis," 3 July 2018
That’s led to even more concerns about the children separated from their families, especially since the most powerful documentation of the family separation crisis — audio of a sobbing child — amplified the pressure on Trump to rescind his policy.

— jen kirby, Vox, "Sen. Chris Murphy condemns “perverse secrecy of child separation”," 29 June 2018
For those seeking official documentation, a Freedom of Information request must be submitted to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a federal agency that regulates animal welfare, Smith said.

— bayan wang, azcentral, "Report: Alia the bottlenose dolphin died of a bacterial infection," 29 June 2018
The school will also provide documentation, some of which was already contained in the records release, that attempts to corroborate NCAA (and university) findings.

— michael mccann, SI.com, "Breaking Down Kevin Ollie's Case Against UConn and the University's Likely Defenses," 29 June 2018
The only other documentation of the incident the mother received: a bill for $800 from the New York hospital.

— anne branigin, The Root, "The Hell After: New Report Uncovers Years of Negligence and Physical, Sexual Abuse in Shelters for Migrant Youths," 21 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'documentation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of documentation

1884

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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documentation Synonyms

DOCUMENTATION Defined for English Language Learners

documentation

noun

Definition of documentation for English Language Learners

: the documents, records, etc., that are used to prove something or make something official
: written instructions for using a computer or computer program