documentarian
Americannoun
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Movies, Television. a filmmaker, producer, etc., who specializes in documentaries.
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a writer, photographer, or other artist whose work constitutes a document or documentary of an aspect of life.
noun
Etymology
Origin of documentarian
First recorded in 1940–45; document(ary) + -arian
Explanation
A documentarian is a non-fiction filmmaker. Rather than using actors and scripts, documentarians tell stories of real people and factual events. Most documentarians make documentary films, though a few use other media, including audio recordings, to document true stories. Some nature documentarians spend months filming migratory birds or feral cats, while another documentarian might assemble home movie footage to make an autobiographical movie about her own family. The root of documentarian is document, from the Latin documentum, "proof."
Vocabulary lists containing documentarian
doc
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-arian
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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.
In his absence, the documentarian created a digital avatar of the Tesla CEO and used statements pulled from decades worth of the entrepreneur’s interviews and public appearances.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
The September 3 letter from attorney Alex Spiro, addressed to a producer at Alex Gibney's Jigsaw Productions, accuses the Oscar-winning documentarian of building "Musk" around a predetermined conclusion.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
The documentarian and director of ‘Sherman’s March’ pulls from a wide range of personal footage to reflect on his son’s death and the passage of time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Much to my surprise, Radcliffe more than steps up as a down-and-out documentarian inserted into the life of a disgraced football star grasping for a comeback.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
I am confident I shall soon receive the documentarian post I deserve.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
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.
