documentaries

IPA/ˌdɒk.jəˈmen.tər.i/
KK[dˌɑkjəmˈɛntɚiz]IPA/ˌdɑː.kjəˈmen.t̬ɚ.i/

documentaries — noun

  • documentariessingular
  • documentariesesplural

1. films, television programmes, or radio shows that explore real people, events, o

1.nounB1
Definition

films, television programmes, or radio shows that explore real people, events, or subjects instead of telling an invented story

Example

Lakan watches nature documentaries after dinner with grandparents at home.

nature documentaries

Asher downloaded three documentaries for the overnight train ride home.

number + documentaries

Common collocations
  • watch documentaries
  • download documentaries
  • documentaries about nature
  • make documentaries
Synonyms
  • documentary films

    stresses the film format more clearly than the broader plural headword

  • factual programmes

    broader and often used for television or radio, not only films

  • docuseries

    used when the factual story is spread across several episodes

Grammar Patterns

watch documentaries

documentaries about + topic

make documentaries

Usage Note

Usually used for more than one factual film or programme. For one item, say 'a documentary'. Common topic patterns include 'documentaries about whales' and 'TV documentaries on war'.

Common Mistakes

We watched three documentarys about sharks.
We watched three documentaries about sharks.
The plural of 'documentary' changes -y to -ies.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Documentaries' is the everyday plural word for factual films or programmes about real people, events, or issues. 'Documentary films' is slightly narrower because it points most clearly to cinema or video, while 'documentaries' can also include television or radio work in ordinary use. 'Docuseries' is used when the same real-life subject is told across several episodes rather than in one complete work. 'News reports' are usually shorter and more immediate, focusing on current events instead of the fuller background that documentaries often provide. You might stream wildlife documentaries at home, follow a crime docuseries over a week, or watch a brief news report on the same case that a longer documentary later explores in depth.

documentaries ↗documentary filmsdocuseriesnews reports

Common collocations

Nouns

  • nature documentaries
  • TV documentaries
  • radio documentaries

Phrases

  • watch documentaries
  • make documentaries
  • a series of documentaries

Prepositions

  • documentaries about wildlife
  • documentaries on history

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Documentaries' is the plural of 'documentary'. The word comes from the same Latin root as 'document' and first described something connected with records or evidence. In modern English, it later came to mean a film, television programme, or radio programme built around real facts and real subjects rather than an invented story.

First known use

1935

1935, in the meaning defined above