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

There’s nothing here that the viewer can’t glean from the documentary, and in fact, the doc is a far more edifying and affecting work than Safdie’s stylish regurgitation.

From Salon

Having stripped away most of the documentary’s narration and sit-down interviews with Kerr’s family and friends, the film barely explores anyone’s psychology — and Blunt’s railroaded Dawn loses her chance to speak for herself.

From Los Angeles Times

In a documentary, she later claimed that fans had included Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and Pope Benedict XVI.

From BBC

The documentary shows us what’s really happening, tracking one horrific example of what administrators get away with.

From Los Angeles Times

The 13-page complaint, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, stems from numerous comments Ray J made this year about his old flame and her family in a TMZ documentary and on a Twitch livestream.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• broadcast 
• feature 
• film 
• narrative