docudrama

noun

docu·​dra·​ma ˈdä-kyə-ˌdrä-mə How to pronounce docudrama (audio)
-ˌdra-,
-kyü-
: a drama (as for television) dealing freely with historical events especially of a recent and controversial nature

Examples of docudrama in a Sentence

They are making a docudrama about the controversial court case.
Recent Examples on the Web But Criminal Record is more film noir than kitchen sink docudrama. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Jan. 2024 This creative docudrama examines the life and aftermath following the mysterious death of Frank Olson, a biological warfare scientist who worked for the CIA. Melissa Sherrard, EW.com, 16 Sep. 2023 This time, though, Coppola goes in the opposite direction, working with a casually meticulous docudrama authenticity. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Sep. 2023 This is a docudrama in the truest sense of the word. Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2024 The life and career of Dior (Ben Mendelsohn) are not obviously the stuff of exciting docudrama, as a major streaming platform would define it, and Chanel (Juliette Binoche), certainly in the years pictured here, is not a particularly sympathetic figure. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2024 Treat Williams stars as media tycoon Bill Paley, Naomi Watts’ character’s husband, in the upcoming installment of the FX docudrama, which is based on author Laurence Leamer’s bestselling book Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 24 Jan. 2024 Watch Vanity Fair on Prime Video 09 of 13 The Last Czars The Last Czars is a six-part docudrama that follows the reign of Nicholas II from his accession to the throne to his family’s execution by the Bolsheviks in 1918. Jacqueline Weiss, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023 Rob Lowe is honoring the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party as the host and executive producer of a new, four-part docudrama titled Liberty or Death: Boston Tea Party, premiering Nov. 19 on Fox Nation. Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 9 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'docudrama.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

documentary + drama

First Known Use

circa 1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of docudrama was circa 1961

Dictionary Entries Near docudrama

Cite this Entry

“Docudrama.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/docudrama. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

docudrama

noun
do·​cu·​dra·​ma
ˈdäk-yə-ˌdräm-ə,
-ˌdram-
: a drama (as for television) dealing freely with historical events especially of a recent or controversial nature

More from Merriam-Webster on docudrama

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