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

• historical
• factual
• nonfictional
• literal
• 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

The festival unfolds at a particularly tenuous time for the documentary field, which for the past several years has faced a feeble acquisition market. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025

The documentary lineup features new films from Werner Herzog, Laura Poitras, and Raoul Peck, while the Stockholm Series program will showcase new television projects, including Isabella Eklöf’s The Death of Bunny Munroe and Justin Kurzel’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2025

Noun

For director and producer Robert Eric Wise, the goal of the documentary was to introduce more young people to the work and accomplishments of pivotal Black Fort Worth residents. —Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2025

The actress made her directorial debut with the 1987 documentary Heaven, about the possibility of an afterlife. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for documentary

• alimentary
• complimentary
• parliamentary
• rudimentary
• sedimentary
• supplementary
• testamentary
• integumentary
• uncomplimentary
• unparliamentary
• interparliamentary
• metasedimentary

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