Documental

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A format that presents factual narratives about events or information
2. Connected with official papers or legal documents ; relating to films that depict real events or factual stories
3. Concerning the use or management of written or recorded materials ; describing movies based on actual events or true-life subjects

Etymology: "Documental" is a plain formation: the noun "document" with the adjective-forming suffix "-al" added to it, which is why it reads as "relating to documents." The noun itself came into English from Middle French "document," which in turn came from Latin "documentum," meaning a lesson, example, or proof. That Latin noun was built from "docere," "to teach," so the root idea behind every documentary paper is something that teaches or shows. The suffix carries most of the adjective's history. English took "-al" from Latin "-ālis," which passed through Old French forms ending in "-al" and "-el" before settling into English as "-al." Adding it to a noun to mean "pertaining to" is a long-standing English pattern, so "documental" follows the same route as words like "fictional" or "national." The film sense is the newer layer. It grew out of the noun "documentary" for factual films, and "documental" appears in the same film-related meaning, so the adjective now covers both official papers and factual films.

Synonyms: documentary, factual, informative