This invention provides a document processing apparatus and method for searching, for a specific document image, a database in which a plurality of document images are registered in correspondence with the attributes of partial regions. A document image associated with search is segmented into partial regions. The attribute of each partial region of the segmented document image associated with search is determined. At least one document image is selected from document images registered in the database on the basis of the number of partial regions for each attribute in the document image associated with search.