What does "document" mean?
An original or official paper used as the basis, proof, or support of anything else, including any writing, book, or other instrument conveying information pertinent to such proof or support.
Document
/ˈdɒkjʊmənt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An original or official paper used as the basis, proof, or support of anything else, including any writing, book, or other instrument conveying information pertinent to such proof or support.
- Grammar: document is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: accounted, accounting, accounts, address.
- Useful contrasts: fictional rome account, underdocumented, bullshitting.
- Usage evidence: I hadn't recognized the importance of this document until you told me about it.
How to use "document"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "document" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "document" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "document" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "document" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "document" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accounted" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "document", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An original or official paper used as the basis, proof, or support of anything else, including any writing, book, or other instrument conveying information pertinent to such proof or support.
"Saint Luke […] collected them from such documents and testimonies as he […] judged to be authentic."
- 2 anything serving as a representation of a person's thinking by means of symbolic marks wordnet
- 3 Any material substance on which the information is represented by writing.
"If a morsel of food fell off your plate, the advice of one contemporary document was to pick it up, make the sign of the cross over it, season it well - and then eat it."
- 4 writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature) wordnet
- 5 A file that contains text.
"That exception is the HTML <IMG> tag–which transcludes an image into the context of the document. The image itself is neither embedded within the document nor copied—it is transcluded."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 (computer science) a computer file that contains text (and possibly formatting instructions) using seven-bit ASCII characters wordnet
- 7 An object conveying information by whatever means, capable of being indexed alongside other similar objects.
"This study examines video game photography as a documentary practice. […] The three themes from this study's findings – that video game photographs act as (1) vehicles for storytelling, (2) creative trophies, and (3) aesthetic tokens – reveal how personally meaningful documents emerge from this medium."
- 8 a written account of ownership or obligation wordnet
- 9 That which is taught or authoritatively set forth; precept; instruction; dogma. obsolete
"And particularly they should take care that the memory of the learner be not too much crowded with a tumultuous heap or overbearing multitude of documents or ideas at one time."
- 10 An example for instruction or warning. obsolete
"They were forthwith stoned to death, as a document to others."
Verb
- 1 To record in documents.
"He documented each step of the process as he did it, which was good when the investigation occurred."
- 2 support or supply with references wordnet
- 3 To furnish with documents or papers necessary to establish facts or give information.
"A ship should be documented according to the directions of law."
- 4 record in detail wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"I hadn't recognized the importance of this document until you told me about it."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "document"?
Common synonyms include: accounted, accounting, accounts, address, adduce, affirm.
How do you use "document" in a sentence?
I hadn't recognized the importance of this document until you told me about it.
How do you pronounce "document"?
Pronounced /ˈdɒkjʊmənt/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French document, from Latin documentum.