documentary

American Heritage Dictionary:

doc·u·men·ta·ry

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(dŏk'yə-mĕn'tə-rē) pronunciation

adj.

Consisting of, concerning, or based on documents.
Presenting facts objectively without editorializing or inserting fictional matter, as in a book or film.

n., pl., -ries.
A work, such as a film or television program, presenting political, social, or historical subject matter in a factual and informative manner and often consisting of actual news films or interviews accompanied by narration.

documentary

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Fact-based film that depicts actual events and persons. Documentaries can deal with scientific or educational topics, can be a form of journalism or social commentary, or can be a conduit for propaganda or personal expression. The term was first coined by Scottish-born filmmaker John Grierson to describe fact-based features such as Robert Flaherty's Nanook of the North (1922). Grierson's Drifters (1929) and Pare Lorentz's The Plow That Broke the Plains (1936) influenced documentary filmmaking in the 1930s. During the World War II era documentary filmmaking was a valuable propaganda tool used by all sides. Leni Riefenstahl contributed to the Nazi propaganda efforts in the 1930s; the U.S. made films such as Frank Capra's series Why We Fight (194245); and Britain released London Can Take It (1940). Cinma vrit documentaries, which gained notoriety in the 1960s, emphasized a more informal and intimate relationship between camera and subject. Television became an important medium for documentary films with goals that were more journalistic (such as CBS's Harvest of Shame [1960]) and educational (such as Ken Burns's Civil War [1990]).

For more information on documentary, visit Britannica.com.

Barron's Marketing Dictionary:

documentary

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Factual broadcast presentation of some authentic story, event, or situation, in contrast to a fictional account. A documentary is not usually presented for its entertainment value alone. It is supported by fact, and, as a rule, has a purpose or a theme, as well as a statement to make. Generally, documentaries take a journalistic approach to the material presented.

Antonyms by Answers.com:

documentary

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adj

Definition: factual
Antonyms: fictional

Word Tutor:

documentary

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IN BRIEF: Presenting factual events.

The class put together a documentary about the history of their town.

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Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'documentary'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier

For a list of words related to documentary, see:

Genres and Types of Pictures - documentary: nonfiction narrative about actual event or characters in journalistic vein
Television Programming and Institutions - documentary: nonfiction program covering current events, issues, or personalities

Rhymes:

documentary

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See words rhyming with "documentary."

Translations:

Documentary

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Home > Library > Literature & Language > Translations

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - dokument-, dokumentar-, dokumentarisk
n. - dokumentardrama, dokumentarfilm

Nederlands (Dutch)
documentaire, documentair

Français (French)
adj. - documentaire, par écrit
n. - (Cin, TV) documentaire

Deutsch (German)
n. - Dokumentarfilm
adj. - dokumentarisch

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (κινηματογραφικό) ντοκιμαντέρ
adj. - έγγραφος, τεκμηριωμένος

Italiano (Italian)
documentario

Português (Portuguese)
n. - documentário (m)
adj. - documental

Русский (Russian)
документальный фильм

Español (Spanish)
adj. - documental
n. - documental

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - reportage (TV, radio)
adj. - dokumentarisk, reportage-

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
文件的, 记录片

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 文件的
n. - 記錄片

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 서류의, 사실을 기록한
n. - 기록 영화

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 記録番組, ドキュメンタリー
adj. - 文書の, 事実を記録した

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) فيلم أو برنامج إذاعي أو تلفزيوني يعرض حقائق عن شئ (صفه) وثائقي, ذو علاقه بالوثائق أو مؤلف منها‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮תיעודי, מסמכי, תעודתי‬
n. - ‮סרט תיעודי‬

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American Heritage Dictionary The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read

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