[dok-yuh-men-tl] /ˌdɒk yəˈmɛn tl/ (Show IPA). pertaining to, consisting of, or derived from documents:
a documentary history of France.
2.
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 documentaries.
3.
Movies, Television. a documentary film, radio or television program, etc.
Also documental. consisting of, derived from, or relating to documents
2.
presenting factual material with little or no fictional additions: the book gives a documentary account of the war
noun (pl) -ries
3.
a factual film or television programme about an event, person, etc, presenting the facts with little or no fiction
Derived Forms
documentarily, adverb
Word Origin and History for documentary
adj.
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.