French word

documentaire

Pronunciation

IPA/dokymɑ̃tɛʁ/

Meaning

  • masculine noundocumentary

Example

Ce documentaire parle de la nature.

This documentary is about nature.

Illustration for documentaire (documentary)

More examples

J'ai regardé un documentaire hier soir.

I watched a documentary last night.

Core concept

Observed reality becomes a shaped film that reveals how people, places, or events actually are.

Common phrases

  • regarder un documentaire

    watch a documentary

  • un documentaire sur la nature

    a documentary about nature

  • un documentaire télévisé

    a televised documentary

Similar words

film: A film that presents scenes or a story arranged by its creators.
reportage: A brief news video or article reporting what is happening at the scene.
émission: A regularly broadcast television or radio program with a defined format.

Definition in French

Œuvre audiovisuelle factuelle destinée à montrer et expliquer des réalités concrètes grâce à l'observation et au montage.

Word origin

The French adjective documentaire was formed from document with the suffix -aire and later became a noun for a documentary film; document traces to Latin documentum.

Usage tips

  • In casual speech, un documentaire is often shortened to un doc, a form suited to informal conversation.

Opposites

Related words

  • documenterdocumentverb
  • documentationdocumentationnoun

Word lists with this word