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
Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
It will eventually be donated to a Holocaust museum, where future generations can be confronted with documentary proof of the Nazi genocide and learn the horrible, but important, truth of what happened.
—Elliott Broidy, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 Jan. 2026
Watching that All or Nothing documentary series about Arsenal four seasons ago, and the way Arteta spoke to his players in the dressing room, there was a priority on giving Odegaard, Saka or Gabriel Martinelli the opportunity to create.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for documentary
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
The father of eight made the revelation to the Daily Mail while DJ'ing at a Sundance Film Festival event celebrating the documentary Side Effects May Include, by healthcare strategist Rachel Strauss.
—Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
It will eventually be donated to a Holocaust museum, where future generations can be confronted with documentary proof of the Nazi genocide and learn the horrible, but important, truth of what happened.
—Elliott Broidy, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
Directed by Stacey Lee and produced by Jon Watts, the three-part documentary series (inspired by the iHeart Media podcast of the same name) chronicles a high school sociology class trying to crack a local cold case.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 Jan. 2026
Watching that All or Nothing documentary series about Arsenal four seasons ago, and the way Arteta spoke to his players in the dressing room, there was a priority on giving Odegaard, Saka or Gabriel Martinelli the opportunity to create.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for documentary
Cite this Entry
“Documentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/documentary. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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
