adjective
- Also doc·u·men·tal [dok-yuh–men-tl] /ˌdɒk yəˈmɛn tl/. pertaining to, consisting of, or derived from documents: a documentary history of France.
- Movies, Television. based on or re-creating an actual event, era, life story, etc., that purports to be factually accurate and contains no fictional elements: a documentary life of Gandhi.
noun, plural doc·u·men·ta·ries.
- Movies, Television. a documentary film, radio or television program, etc.
adjective
- Also: documental consisting of, derived from, or relating to documents
- presenting factual material with little or no fictional additionsthe book gives a documentary account of the war
noun plural -ries
- a factual film or television programme about an event, person, etc, presenting the facts with little or no fiction
c.1810, “pertaining to documents,” from document + -ary. Meaning “factual, meant to provide a record of something” is from 1926, from French film documentarie (1924). The noun (short for documentary film) is attested from 1935. Docudrama is a 1961 coinage.