Documentation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌdɒkjʊmɛnˈteɪʃən/

Definitions

1. Written materials that provide official information, instructions, or evidence about something
2. Written records that serve to inform, describe, or validate particular processes, events, or items
3. Collections of texts and illustrations that offer guidance, support, or proof regarding various subjects or actions

Etymology: "Documentation" is one of those words where the English form and its immediate source tell only part of the story. It is formed from "document" plus the suffix "-ation," which turns a verb or noun into an abstract noun of action or result, so the word names the act of documenting as well as the material produced by it. The base "document" traces back through Old French to Latin "documentum," meaning a lesson, proof, or example, from "docere," to teach, the same root that gives "doctrine" and "docile." The word also has a parallel line of descent. Medieval Latin had "documentātio," which passed into English alongside the native formation, so the two routes reinforced each other. Later, the German "Dokumentation" entered English as a borrowing, a reminder that the modern sense of the word, especially in library science and information management, owes something to German scholarly usage.

Synonyms: records, files, papers, evidence, report

Antonyms: disorganization, chaos, anarchy, confusion, disorder