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
Synonyms
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
Patrick Frater, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
The game features an interactive museum-like exhibit, along with documentary footage of Francis Mechner, now 93, displaying an apparently impeccable memory, recalling details his son forgot.
—Gene Park, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
The intelligence agency even produced a documentary film about the operation to showcase its triumph.
—José Bautista, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
In his new two-part documentary film on Apple TV+ — STEVE!
—Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
Visibility was near zero, according to local historians who made a documentary film about the collapse.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
When the members of a devoted book club become the subjects of a documentary filmmaker and accept a provocative new member, their long-standing group dynamics take a hilarious turn.
—The Enquirer, 4 Mar. 2024
Imagine’s focus on celebrity isn’t surprising given the documentary landscape in recent years.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024
The dress — an upcycled silk piece with a painting of Jon conducting the symphony painted on the back — was a beautiful nod to the documentary film American Symphony, which both Suleika and Jon star in and which was nominated that night.
—Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
The Editors, National Review, 5 Apr. 2024
The on-the-spot approach to creating comedy brings it closer to the raw timbre of documentary.
—Wesley Morris Ron Butler Emma Kehlbeck Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
The documentary begins streaming April 5 on Apple TV+.
McBaine and Moss and their teen subjects — Emily Whitmore, Maddie Rowan, Nisha Murali, Tochi Ihekona, Faith Glasgow, Cecilia Bartin and Brooke Taylor — gathered at Linden University in St. Louis, Missouri, in June 2022.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
Through archival footage and expert analysis, the documentary sheds light on the murky deals behind the Olympic facade.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
The documentary focused on Tilikum, a 12,000-pound killer whale that fatally attacked a SeaWorld Orlando trainer in 2010.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2024
Girls State, which begins streaming on Apple TV+ this Friday, is a follow-up to the acclaimed 2020 documentary Boys State; both are directed by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2024
In the new two-part documentary, Steve Martin reveals sides of himself fans have never seen before.
STEVE!
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
In the first part of the new documentary In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon — which premiered last Sunday — Brickell, 58, says she was told to stay away from Simon, 82, in the early days of their relationship.
—Lizzie Hyman, Peoplemag, 24 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Under the collective’s documentary film and media fellowship, six Indian heritage filmmakers based in India and U.S. will receive a grant of $2000 each, funded by Color Congress, to progress their ongoing short or long form documentary projects.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
The game features an interactive museum-like exhibit, along with documentary footage of Francis Mechner, now 93, displaying an apparently impeccable memory, recalling details his son forgot.
—Gene Park, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
The intelligence agency even produced a documentary film about the operation to showcase its triumph.
—José Bautista, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
In his new two-part documentary film on Apple TV+ — STEVE!
—Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
Visibility was near zero, according to local historians who made a documentary film about the collapse.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
When the members of a devoted book club become the subjects of a documentary filmmaker and accept a provocative new member, their long-standing group dynamics take a hilarious turn.
—The Enquirer, 4 Mar. 2024
Imagine’s focus on celebrity isn’t surprising given the documentary landscape in recent years.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024
The dress — an upcycled silk piece with a painting of Jon conducting the symphony painted on the back — was a beautiful nod to the documentary film American Symphony, which both Suleika and Jon star in and which was nominated that night.
—Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
Noun
This is perhaps the largest topic entirely omitted in the documentary.
—The Editors, National Review, 5 Apr. 2024
The on-the-spot approach to creating comedy brings it closer to the raw timbre of documentary.
—Wesley Morris Ron Butler Emma Kehlbeck Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
The documentary begins streaming April 5 on Apple TV+.
McBaine and Moss and their teen subjects — Emily Whitmore, Maddie Rowan, Nisha Murali, Tochi Ihekona, Faith Glasgow, Cecilia Bartin and Brooke Taylor — gathered at Linden University in St. Louis, Missouri, in June 2022.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
Through archival footage and expert analysis, the documentary sheds light on the murky deals behind the Olympic facade.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
The documentary focused on Tilikum, a 12,000-pound killer whale that fatally attacked a SeaWorld Orlando trainer in 2010.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2024
Girls State, which begins streaming on Apple TV+ this Friday, is a follow-up to the acclaimed 2020 documentary Boys State; both are directed by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2024
In the new two-part documentary, Steve Martin reveals sides of himself fans have never seen before.
STEVE!
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
In the first part of the new documentary In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon — which premiered last Sunday — Brickell, 58, says she was told to stay away from Simon, 82, in the early days of their relationship.
—Lizzie Hyman, Peoplemag, 24 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'documentary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near documentary
Cite this Entry
“Documentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/documentary. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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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
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
More from Merriam-Webster on documentary
Nglish: Translation of documentary for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of documentary for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about documentary
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