documentation

noun

doc·​u·​men·​ta·​tion ˌdä-kyə-mən-ˈtā-shən 

-ˌmen-,

-kyü-

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: the use of historical documents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

documentational

ˌdä-kyə-mən-ˈtā-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

-ˌmen-

-kyü-

adjective

Synonyms

• attestation
• confirmation
• corroboration
• evidence
• proof
• substantiation
• testament
• testimonial
• testimony
• validation
• voucher
• witness

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 on the Web

Destinations: Domestic and international, with additional requirements and documentation required for pets traveling to Hawaii or internationally. —Anne Marie Lee, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024

Asked why the soldiers were out of the loop, General Har-Even said that certain officers had not seen the coordination documentation. —Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024

If data exceeds certain thresholds, Walmart will reach out to suppliers for supporting documentation. —Courtney Vien, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2024

Quechan Councilwoman Gloria McGee thanked the environmentalists for assisting the tribe in pointing out flaws in the mining company's documentation. —The Arizona Republic, 30 Mar. 2024

By training on extensive medical texts, these AI models can accurately identify relevant codes and quality measures, streamlining the process of documentation and billing and helping ensure compliance with healthcare standards. —David Lareau, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

Hoppe and Caswell, in Jackson County grand jury indictments handed down on Dec. 15, each face two felony charges of willfully providing false voter documentation and filing false documents. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2024

That includes limiting access to parts and documentation. —Matt Simon, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024

The group has also enlarged its collection with documentation of other atrocities, such as the Armenian genocide, Nanjing massacre, the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the killing and expulsion of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, and violence against Kurds in Northern Syria. —Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

documentation

noun

doc·​u·​men·​ta·​tion ˌdäk-yə-mən-ˈtā-shən 

-ˌmen-

1

: the providing of documents as proof

2

: evidence in the form of documents

3

: written instructions for using a computer or computer program