documentary

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

/ ˌdɒk yəˈmɛn tə ri, -tri /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for documentary on Thesaurus.com

adjective

Also doc·u·men·tal

[dok-yuh-men-tl]. /ˌdɒk yəˈmɛn tl/. pertaining to, consisting of, or derived from documents: a documentary history of France.

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 doc·u·men·ta·ries.

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

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of documentary

First recorded in 1795–1805; document + -ary

Words nearby documentary

doctrine of descent, docudrama, document, documentalist, documentarian, documentary, documentation, document reader, docusoap, docutainment, DOD

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use documentary in a sentence

The couple, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will produce an array of works including scripted and documentary series, documentary films, scripted features and children’s programming, the company said in an emailed statement Wednesday.
Prince Harry and Meghan have signed a wide-ranging Netflix production deal|radmarya|September 2, 2020|Fortune
In 2016, Anat Zalmanson-Kuznetsov, the daughter of Edward Kutznetsov and Sylva Zalmanson, the only woman charged in the hijacking, directed Operation Wedding, a documentary about the event.
The Failed Hijacking That Remade the Soviet Union|Eromo Egbejule|August 24, 2020|Ozy
Among the projects in the works is a feature-length documentary that will not feature Shopify’s brand nor any merchants that use its e-commerce platform, North said.
I want my DTC TV? Shopify debuts reality TV show|Tim Peterson|August 18, 2020|Digiday
A typical week might include doing a research roundup for our Monday show, helping book a guest for a Thursday show and pulling archival audio for a long-term documentary project.
We’re Looking For A Temporary Producer For Our Politics Podcast|Galen Druke|August 5, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

I read A Brief History of Time, and I saw some documentaries about Hawking.
This Cosmologist Knows How It’s All Going to End|Dan Falk|June 22, 2020|Quanta Magazine
The documentary also follows the fortunes of Consuelo Yznaga, later Duchess of Manchester.
The Real-Life ‘Downton’ Millionairesses Who Changed Britain|Tim Teeman|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The claim is one of a series of allegations made in a controversial documentary that the BBC has now pulled.
Pulled Documentary Says William Felt ‘Used’ by Charles’ Push for Camilla|Tom Sykes|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This came across in the Showtime Omit the Logic documentary—in which you were a commentator—and it comes across here.
How Richard Pryor Beat Bill Cosby and Transformed America|David Yaffe, Scott Saul|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was looking to make a documentary, I wanted to change my career, and I knew right away this was it.
This Fashion World Darling Is Homeless|Erica Wagner|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She also captured the entire episode in her riveting, award-worthy documentary Citizenfour, which is in theaters now.
Laura Poitras on Snowden's Unrevealed Secrets|Marlow Stern|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There is no documentary evidence to fix the exact date, but it is generally assumed to have been 907.
Bell's Cathedrals: A Short Account of Romsey Abbey|Thomas Perkins
The first documentary evidence of the existence of the merchant gild appears in 1242.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
To do this has rendered my history, to a large extent, documentary, instead of being a mere popular narrative.
The Loyalists of America and Their Times, Vol. 1 of 2|Egerton Ryerson
Briefly it would be necessary for him to go to London, to secure documentary evidence.
The Hidden Places|Bertrand W. Sinclair
"My husband is coming from London," she asserted, searching in her reticule for documentary evidence.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 147, August 12, 1914|Various

British Dictionary definitions for documentary

documentary

/ (ˌdɒkjʊˈmɛntərɪ, -trɪ) /

adjective

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

presenting factual material with little or no fictional additionsthe book gives a documentary account of the war

noun plural -ries

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

Derived forms of documentary

documentarily, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

documentary

Origin of documentary

OTHER WORDS FROM documentary

Words nearby documentary

Words related to documentary

How to use documentary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for documentary

Derived forms of documentary