docudrama
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of docudrama
First recorded in 1960–65; docu(mentary) + drama
Explanation
A fictional movie or TV show that's closely based on a true story can be called a docudrama. All The President's Men is a docudrama about the Watergate scandal. The term docudrama was first used in American English during the 1950s, from documentary and drama. It's most often used for television programs that strive for some accuracy in representing historical events, sometimes reenacting situations using real details and dialogue. Docudramas inevitably also fill in unknown details and ramp up the dramatic interest of the story using creative license.
Vocabulary lists containing docudrama
doc
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The Dramatic Vision: An Overview, Part 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Sentimental Value" will compete in the foreign language film category against Brazilian crime thriller "The Secret Agent", Cannes' top Palme d'Or winner "It Was Just An Accident" and Palestinian docudrama "The Voice of Hind Rajab".
From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026
Fox News in 2018 launched Fox Nation, which intended to complement the network’s offerings with programming such as “The Saints,” a docudrama narrated by Martin Scorsese.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
This seven-episode docudrama is based on James L. Swanson’s 2006 book, “Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer,” and that should serve as the essential plot outline.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 30, 2025
Jessi adds the docudrama shows how "we are all normal and everyday girls, not people wearing bonnets and churning butter like you might think".
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2025
Calls for a rapid settlement have escalated this year after a television docudrama fueled public outrage.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 13, 2024
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
