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
Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
In the documentary category, The Alabama Solution, Apocalypse in the Tropics, The Perfect Neighbor and 2000 Meters to Andriivka were among the titles.
—Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 16 Dec. 2025
Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025
The actress debuted her pregnant belly on the red carpet during the premiere of her dad's new documentary, Being Eddie.
—Sari Hitchins, Parents, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for documentary
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Adjective
That version, directed by Luis Llosa, focused more on thrills and chills, with a plot centered on a documentary crew that ventures into the Amazon rainforest to help a snake hunter (Voight) track down a legendary — and lethal — serpent.
—Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
In the documentary category, The Alabama Solution, Apocalypse in the Tropics, The Perfect Neighbor and 2000 Meters to Andriivka were among the titles.
—Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 16 Dec. 2025
Noun
In August 2024, Frey spoke out once again in the Netflix documentary, sharing more details about what was going through her head at that time.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025
The actress debuted her pregnant belly on the red carpet during the premiere of her dad's new documentary, Being Eddie.
—Sari Hitchins, Parents, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for documentary
Cite this Entry
“Documentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/documentary. Accessed 1 Jan. 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
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