Docuseries

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A television program that combines documentary elements with a serialized format
2. A series of episodes featuring real-life stories presented in a documentary style
3. A narrative format blending factual content with entertainment to explore subjects over multiple installments

Etymology: "Docuseries" is a blend of two English words, "documentary" and "series," and it has no older history than the parts it joins. "Documentary" traces back through French "documentaire" to Latin "documentum," a lesson or proof, from "docere," to teach, which is also the root of "doctor" and "doctrine." "Series" comes from Latin "serere," to join or arrange in a row, and entered English as a borrowing from Latin "series." The combination works on the principle of a clipped blend: the first part is cut short to "docu," and the pairing reads as a show that teaches its viewers through a sequence of episodes. The word is a recent formation, and its meaning follows directly from the two halves joined together.

Synonyms: documentary series