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
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
Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2025
The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s branch in Scranton, Pa., have found new subjects in the offshoot, still set in the world of paper: the eclectic staff of The Truth Teller, a historic Midwestern newspaper in Toledo, Ohio, well past its glory days.
—EW.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
The Orchestra has even wrote new songs and put out an album in the early 2000s and just last year was the subject of a documentary film.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for documentary
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Adjective
In the run-up to the 2027 Women’s World Cup tournament, Netflix is expected to produce documentary series to spotlight top international players and the global growth of women’s football (known as soccer in North America) overall.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2025
The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s branch in Scranton, Pa., have found new subjects in the offshoot, still set in the world of paper: the eclectic staff of The Truth Teller, a historic Midwestern newspaper in Toledo, Ohio, well past its glory days.
—EW.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
The new documentary was created by Richard Yelland.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
The Orchestra has even wrote new songs and put out an album in the early 2000s and just last year was the subject of a documentary film.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for documentary
Cite this Entry
“Documentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/documentary. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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
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