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
plural documentaries
: a presentation (such as a film or novel) expressing or dealing with factual events : a documentary presentation
Synonyms
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
Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 27 Apr. 2024
Payne is currently in production on — and targeting a 2025 release for — a documentary feature about the trailblazing film scholar Jeanine Basinger, tracing her story from her days as a movie theater usher in Brookings, South Dakota, to Connecticut’s Wesleyan University.
—Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Apr. 2024
When Megan’s story started to crumble, Schulman traveled to Michigan to find the truth, with a documentary team in tow.
—Maya Salam Maya Salam, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2024
And through a documentary film project, he’s learned a lot more — and so have the people of Olathe.
—Debra Skodack, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2024
Founded in 1955, World Press Photo is a nonprofit that has been recognizing talented photojournalists and documentary photographers for nearly 70 years.
—Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024
In 2009, Taylor earned an Oscar nomination for best documentary short film for The Final Inch, which chronicled the fight to eradicate polio.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 16 Apr. 2024
Award-winning country star Lainey Wilson will be the subject of a documentary special being produced by Robin Roberts‘ production unit at ABC News Studios, to be seen on Hulu, with a premiere date set for May 29.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 15 Apr. 2024
Scottish composer Erland Cooper’s soaring score for the documentary hints at the end of the trailer that Billy and Molly have to part ways as the noble otter is seen to freely swim again in wild nature.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Apr. 2024
Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 30 Apr. 2024
These true crime cases have become the subject of documentaries and podcasts, diving into the details of the disappearances.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 29 Apr. 2024
The festival’s lineup includes nearly 40 feature narratives, documentaries and short films from over 20 countries around the world.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2024
Though her role in Becoming King was behind the camera, the documentary feels a bit like a coming-out party for Jessica—a chance for her to be regarded as an artist in her own right.
—Jen Wang, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2024
News of her murder was announced by her colleagues at BBC during an emotional broadcast later that evening, as recounted in Netflix's three-part documentary series released last year.
—Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 27 Apr. 2024
Fresh off Beyoncé’s record-breaking, genre-defying new album, CNN is examining country music’s post-Cowboy Carter reckoning in a new documentary.
—Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Apr. 2024
Narrative and documentary podcasts, in particular, have struggled to break through.
—Reggie Ugwu, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2024
Dwight’s story and the stories of other Black pilots, scientists and engineers in the space program are told in the National Geographic documentary.
—J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2024
Adjective
This lawsuit filed by the students in Washington, D.C., claims that school administration prevented the club from showing a documentary film during lunch called The Occupation of the American Mind that's critical of Israel's treatment of Palestinians.
—Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 27 Apr. 2024
Payne is currently in production on — and targeting a 2025 release for — a documentary feature about the trailblazing film scholar Jeanine Basinger, tracing her story from her days as a movie theater usher in Brookings, South Dakota, to Connecticut’s Wesleyan University.
—Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Apr. 2024
When Megan’s story started to crumble, Schulman traveled to Michigan to find the truth, with a documentary team in tow.
—Maya Salam Maya Salam, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2024
And through a documentary film project, he’s learned a lot more — and so have the people of Olathe.
—Debra Skodack, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2024
Founded in 1955, World Press Photo is a nonprofit that has been recognizing talented photojournalists and documentary photographers for nearly 70 years.
—Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024
In 2009, Taylor earned an Oscar nomination for best documentary short film for The Final Inch, which chronicled the fight to eradicate polio.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 16 Apr. 2024
Award-winning country star Lainey Wilson will be the subject of a documentary special being produced by Robin Roberts‘ production unit at ABC News Studios, to be seen on Hulu, with a premiere date set for May 29.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 15 Apr. 2024
Scottish composer Erland Cooper’s soaring score for the documentary hints at the end of the trailer that Billy and Molly have to part ways as the noble otter is seen to freely swim again in wild nature.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Apr. 2024
Noun
In this sense, the documentary is a rediscovery of something most people go through, told with empathetic specificity for this particular mother and son.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 30 Apr. 2024
These true crime cases have become the subject of documentaries and podcasts, diving into the details of the disappearances.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 29 Apr. 2024
The festival’s lineup includes nearly 40 feature narratives, documentaries and short films from over 20 countries around the world.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2024
Though her role in Becoming King was behind the camera, the documentary feels a bit like a coming-out party for Jessica—a chance for her to be regarded as an artist in her own right.
—Jen Wang, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2024
News of her murder was announced by her colleagues at BBC during an emotional broadcast later that evening, as recounted in Netflix's three-part documentary series released last year.
—Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 27 Apr. 2024
Fresh off Beyoncé’s record-breaking, genre-defying new album, CNN is examining country music’s post-Cowboy Carter reckoning in a new documentary.
—Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Apr. 2024
Narrative and documentary podcasts, in particular, have struggled to break through.
—Reggie Ugwu, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2024
Dwight’s story and the stories of other Black pilots, scientists and engineers in the space program are told in the National Geographic documentary.
—J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'documentary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near documentary
Cite this Entry
“Documentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/documentary. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share