DOCUMENTARY Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

documentary 1 of 2

noun

Definition of documentary

as in docudrama

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documentary

2 of 2

adjective

ˌdä-kyə-ˈmen-tə-rē

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

Sofia Coppola, Lorenzo Mieli, Mario Gianani, Rachel Dengiz, and Youree Henley produced the documentary. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026 The film has made $29K to date, a solid result for a PBS documentary. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 8 July 2026

Adjective

Paul Dugdale directed, with documentary segments from Farah X, and Live Nation Studios produced. — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026 Víg had no prior experience composing for film, and the project – which relied heavily on documentary aesthetics and improvised performance – made for a steep learning curve. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for documentary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for documentary

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

As the industry has expanded, many historical differentiators have now become table stakes.

— Charlotte Kiang, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
At the same time, however, a common thread running through modern retreats and historical spas is that both provide succor for people who have ailments for which standard medicine might not have an answer yet, Köhler continues.

— Veronique Greenwood, Time, 9 July 2026

Definition of historical

Adjective

Award-winning factual producer Proper Content is set to shutter amid tough market conditions.

— K.J. Yossman, Variety, 2 July 2026
Sotomayor, writing for the liberal justices, accused the majority of cutting the litigation short and argued that unresolved factual questions should have been returned to the lower courts.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026

Definition of factual

Noun

The nomination for variety special (pre-recorded) means Swift herself is a nominee as the performer and a producer of the concert film, which showcased the final performance of her record-breaking tour.

— Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
As a result, more producers have chosen to go elsewhere, leaving a quieter landscape for Georgians seeking employment in film and TV.

— Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 9 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

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
The featurette includes Zada discussing the character, which was originated onscreen by Woody Harrelson, along with director Francis Lawrence, producer Nina Jacobson and co-stars Elle Fanning, McKenna Grace, Ben Wang and Jesse Plemons.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 4 July 2026

Definition of featurette

Adjective

Its nostalgic notes include coconut, banana, pool water, and literal swimsuit Lycra.

— Sara Coughlin, Allure, 9 July 2026
Many teams make the mistake of using AI to auto-generate basic, literal captions, which completely fail to convey the emotional nuance, visual data or branding of the creative work.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of literal

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documentaries

documentary

documentation

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“Documentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/documentary. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of documentary

noun

adjective

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