documentary

[dok-yuh-men-tuh-ree, -tree]

adjective

1. Also documental pertaining to, consisting of, or derived from documents.

   a documentary history of France.

2. Movies, Television.,  based on or re-creating an actual event, era, life story, etc., that purports to be factually accurate and contains no fictional elements.

   a documentary life of Gandhi.

noun

plural

documentaries 

1. Movies, Television.,  a documentary film, radio or television program, etc.

documentary

/ ˌdɒkjʊˈmɛntərɪ, -trɪ /

adjective

1. Also: documental. consisting of, derived from, or relating to documents

2. presenting factual material with little or no fictional additions

   the book gives a documentary account of the war

noun

1. a factual film or television programme about an event, person, etc, presenting the facts with little or no fiction

Other Word Forms

• documentarily adverb
• nondocumental adjective
• nondocumentary adjective
• predocumentary adjective
• semidocumentary adjective
• undocumentary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of documentary¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; document + -ary

Example Sentences

Here are our main takeaways from her documentary.

Read more on BBC

The one-off documentary will show how he believes humans are "part of nature, not apart from nature" and that a healthy connection with nature is at "the core of human wellbeing".

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It’s all combining in a season of valediction for the eternal misfit whose life and career recently got the documentary treatment in “Let the Canary Sing” on Paramount+.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He claims to have changed his mind on accepting being involved after watching a documentary featuring Stephen's father, Dr Neville Lawrence.

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“I knew I was telling a story, not making a traditional documentary,” Peck says.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• broadcast 
• feature 
• film 
• narrative