documentation
n. uncountablen. the written instructions, manuals, or records that explain how to use a system or how a project was built. You use this to help others understand your work or to remember how a program works later on.
n. the collection of documents, manuals, and technical specifications that describe the functionality and architecture of a system or software. Often used to facilitate maintenance, onboarding, and compliance within professional environments.
The software is great, but the documentation is hard to read.
The lead developer spent the entire week updating the technical documentation to reflect the recent changes in the API.
Comprehensive documentation serves as a vital knowledge repository, ensuring that institutional memory is preserved even after the original engineers have departed from the organization.
From document + -ation or Medieval Latin documentātio.
From German Dokumentation.
Typically uncountable when referring to the body of work; occasionally countable in legal contexts when referring to specific sets of papers.