documentary

1 of 2

adjective

doc·​u·​men·​ta·​ry ˌdä-kyə-ˈmen-tə-rē 

-ˈmen-trē,

-kyü-

1

: being or consisting of documents : contained or certified in writing

documentary evidence

2

: of, relating to, or employing documentation (see documentation sense 2) in literature or art

broadly : factual, objective

a documentary film of the war

documentarily

ˌdä-kyə-mən-ˈter-ə-lē 

-ˌmen-

-kyü-

adverb

documentary

2 of 2

noun

plural documentaries

: a presentation (such as a film or novel) expressing or dealing with factual events : a documentary presentation

Synonyms

Adjective

• factual
• hard
• historical
• literal
• matter-of-fact
• nonfictional
• objective
• true

Examples of documentary in a Sentence

Adjective

You must present documentary proof of your residence.

a documentary film about the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor

Noun

We watched a documentary on the early history of jazz.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Disney+ and Freddie Flintoff have teamed up for an untitled original documentary film with exclusive access to the former cricket star. —Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Nov. 2024

Campbell and his collaborator, Elaine Owens, raise comparisons to the documentary photography of the New Deal era, particularly the photographs of the novelist Eudora Welty, who shot for the Works Progress Administration. —Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024

Noun

Honorees who have contributed to proud and authentic Jewish storytelling will include: Sheryl Sandberg’s Screams before Silence, Netflix’s Fauda and Jewish Matchmaking, FX’s The Patient, Amazon’s Destination NBA: A G League Odyssey, and David Baddiel’s documentary, Jews Don’t Count. —Marc Berman, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Speaking about the disgraced film producer in Sav Rodgers' documentary Chasing Chasing Amy, Smith recalls screening the movie for Weinstein, 72, and feeling overjoyed at his reaction. —Jen Juneau, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see document entry 1

Noun

see document entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1802, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1935, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

documentary

1 of 2 adjective

doc·​u·​men·​ta·​ry ˌdäk-yə-ˈment-ə-rē 

-ˈmen-trē

1

: consisting of documents

also : being in writing

documentary proof

2

: presenting actual events or facts about something

a documentary film

documentarily

-mən-ˈter-ə-lē 

-ˌmen-

adverb

documentary

2 of 2 noun

plural documentaries

: a documentary presentation (as a film or novel)

Legal Definition

documentary

adjective

doc·​u·​men·​ta·​ry ˌdä-kyə-ˈmen-tə-rē 

: being, consisting of, or contained in documents

documentary evidence