Documentar

Documentar is a verb used in Spanish and Portuguese that means to document, to record information, or to provide documents as proof. It derives from the Latin documentum and is used with objects such as hechos, procesos, investigaciones, or archivos. The act involves collecting, organizing, and presenting evidence, data, or records to support a claim or to preserve a record.

In professional contexts, documentar is common in research, administration, law, and information management. To document a process means to describe each step, note conditions, and attach relevant documents or metadata. In legal and regulatory settings, documenting something often implies formalization and verification with official papers. Documentation can take many forms, including written records, digital files, and standardized forms.

In media, journalism, and film, documentar can mean to collect sources, footage, and data to produce a report or documentary. In Portuguese, a documentary film is called um documentário; in Spanish, the noun is often un documental, while documental can function as an adjective. The verb is frequently used in phrases such as documentar un hecho or documentar un procedimiento.

Related terms include documentación (Spanish) and documentação (Portuguese) for the body of documents, and documental (adjective or noun referring to documentaries). The concept spans both paper and digital formats, including text, images, audio, and metadata.