documentary
documentary Lexical Profile
documentary Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A non-fiction movie, television program, or radio broadcast that provides a factual record or report on real events, people, or natural phenomena, often incorporating interviews and archival footage.
"We watched a fascinating wildlife documentary about the migration patterns of monarch butterflies."
• adjective
Presenting facts and real events objectively without fictionalizing, especially in film, photography, or literature.
"She is known for her documentary style of street photography that captures everyday urban life."
Consisting of or based on official documents, written records, or authenticated evidence.
"The historian spent years gathering documentary proof to verify the ancient treaty."
• Rhymes for documentary
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the early 19th century from 'document' and the suffix '-ary', the word originally referred strictly to written legal or historical evidence. Its cinematic sense as a non-fiction film was popularized in 1926 by Scottish filmmaker John Grierson, who adapted the French term 'documentaire' in a review of Robert Flaherty's film Moana.