documentary 1 of 2

noun

Definition of documentarynext
as in docudrama

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documentary

2 of 2

adjective

ˌdä-kyə-ˈmen-tə-rē How to pronounce documentary (audio)
as in historical
restricted to or based on fact a documentary film about the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of documentary
Noun
Plimsoll producer Alan Eyres approached the star about making a documentary about the ancient city for Nat Geo and Disney+. — Addie Morfoot, Variety, 22 July 2026 Thus began a cathartic, multi-year journey of self-discovery that Maddox chronicles in her documentary. — Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 22 July 2026
Adjective
The story of Stan Lee’s turbulent last years is finally getting the documentary treatment. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 14 July 2026 Those selected on the documentary side are Chelsea Hernandez with The School of Hope, Vero Kompalic with Yosi, Hansen Lin with God Lives Here, Julia Pontecorvo with Unfiltered (working title), and Cherrelle Swain with Southmont Drive. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for documentary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for documentary
  1. docudrama
  2. historical
  3. feature
  4. factual
  5. film
  6. nonfictional
  7. featurette
  8. literal
Noun
  • Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston, a three-part docudrama hosted by the Loki star that will premiere July 22 on the network at 9/8c and July 23 on Disney+ and Hulu.
    — Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 16 June 2026
  • The docudrama drew large crowds in France last year despite criticism from some secular and Catholic sources.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 June 2026
Definition of docudrama
Adjective
  • The 1968 Benchmark The late 1960s marked the historical high-water mark for the real value of the federal minimum wage.
    — Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 24 July 2026
  • An international tribunal ruled in 2016 that China has no legal basis to claim historical rights to the bulk of the South China Sea.
    — Ivan Watson, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
Definition of historical
Noun
  • Many of them feature amenities like a basketball court, weight rooms and a pool, while others may have unique features like boxing gyms or an ice rink.
    — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 22 July 2026
  • Apple might delay the full rollout of these desktop AI utilities beyond the initial Q4 2026 macOS 27 release, preferring a staggered approach to unify features across platforms, mirroring iOS.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of feature
Adjective
  • MacInnes is also reported to have raised procedural-fairness arguments, claiming that Raper made certain factual findings without giving her an adequate opportunity to address them during the trial.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 July 2026
  • Outside of factual content, Rise Films also produced ancient Roman sitcom Plebs, which ran on ITV2 for four seasons from 2013, and enjoyed a revival on Netflix last year.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 July 2026
Definition of factual
Noun
  • The film’s massive ensemble cast also features Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Samantha Morton, Lupita Nyong’o, Elliott Page, Himesh Patel, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, Corey Hawkins, Mia Goth, James Remar and the voice of Bill Irwin.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • However, the role was most famously played by actor John Travolta in the 2007 version of the film.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of film
Adjective
  • Pee-Wee as Himself, the 2025 Emmy award winner for best documentary or nonfictional special, is also among the nominees.
    — Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
  • That delirious excess befits the essence of Lapid’s method, which is a fusion of fiction with indigestibly and irreducibly nonfictional elements.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of nonfictional
Noun
  • Additional bonus features include a behind-the-scenes featurette on the making of the film.
    — Mike Snider, USA Today, 14 July 2026
  • The featurette teases Zada as Haymitch, with scenes ranging from the literal sunrise on his Reaping Day to Capitol interviews to the Games itself.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 4 July 2026
Definition of featurette
Adjective
  • Chan is rarely literal when discussing his work, preferring poetic ambiguity over direct explanation.
    — Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • But The Odyssey is the first time his devotion to the literal Real has been wielded so effectively.
    — Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 21 July 2026
Definition of literal

Browse Nearby Words

documentaries
documentary
documentation
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Cite this Entry

“Documentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/documentary. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on documentary

Nglish: Translation of documentary for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about documentary

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