a comprehensive documentary

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a comprehensive documentary" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a documentary that covers a subject in great detail and depth. Example: "The filmmaker released a comprehensive documentary on climate change that explores its causes, effects, and potential solutions."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

But it never occurred to me that "The Circle" was intended as a comprehensive documentary report or as anything but a highly distilled and aestheticized rendering of certain outrages.

The New Yorker

The empirical analysis of the policy development and the underlying driving forces are based on a comprehensive documentary body of material consisting of official documents published by the states, archival evidence, and secondary literature.

Comparative Migration Studies

How has there never been a comprehensive documentary about John Coltrane before now?

Los Angeles Times

"Elián," a comprehensive documentary retelling of that fierce custody battle (with updates), lays out the ways the story's warring guardians — biological and ideological, legal and emotional — turned a child into a puppet, and possibly changed the course of everything from news coverage to American politics and U.S.-Cuba relations.

Los Angeles Times

For older animation buffs, there's a comprehensive documentary on the film's production, a story outline of the studio's first attempt at making the film in 1951, an exploration of the film's score (with the voice of Aurora, renowned opera singer Mary Costa), and a look at the film's unique design featuring Earle, film historian Leonard Maltin and veteran Disney animator Ollie Johnston.

Los Angeles Times

A comprehensive documentary analysis was complemented by site visits in 2011 2012 and interviews with key informants.

Conflict and Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Meanwhile, two decades on from his premature passing, there probably won't be a more comprehensive documentary overview of rock god Kurt Cobain than Brett Morgan's sprawling Cobain: Montage of Heck Universall, 15), which amasses personal archival material to disconcertingly intimate effect – even with little fresh information to hand.

The Guardian - Film

Horror film-maker Jake West directed a comprehensive 2010 documentary about the pre-certification era, Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship and Video- tape, and has now made a follow-up, Video Nasties: Draconian Days, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the VRA and dealing with its after effects.

Independent

"Bukowski: Born Into This" is the first comprehensive documentary of Bukowski's life, though it draws on film clips provided by many people, including the directors Taylor Hackford and Barbet Schroeder.

The New York Times

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: MY LAI (PBS) Barak Goodman tracked down both American troops and Vietnamese survivors to provide eyewitness accounts for his wrenching and comprehensive documentary about the 1968 My Lai massacre.

The New York Times

Claims to be "the only comprehensive documentary of comics and their creators ever made". Contains historical footage (including congressional hearings from the 1950s linking comic books to juvenile delinquency), interviews, animations, and montages of comic-book art, all compiled by Ron Mann.

Yale University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to "a comprehensive documentary", ensure that the content genuinely provides a full and detailed exploration of the topic. Avoid using the phrase if the documentary only scratches the surface.

Common error

Avoid labeling a documentary as "a comprehensive documentary" if it omits key perspectives or data. Misleading viewers can undermine the documentary's credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a comprehensive documentary" functions as a noun phrase, where 'comprehensive' is an adjective modifying the noun 'documentary'. This phrase is used to describe the nature of a documentary, emphasizing its thoroughness and depth. Ludwig AI confirms this usage with examples from diverse sources.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

33%

Academia

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a comprehensive documentary" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to describe a film that extensively covers a particular subject. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase appears across diverse reputable sources, particularly in News & Media, Science, and Academia. When using the phrase, ensure that the documentary genuinely offers a thorough and detailed examination of its topic. Related phrases like "an exhaustive documentary" or "a thorough documentary" offer similar nuances. The key takeaway is to accurately represent the documentary's scope and depth to maintain credibility and inform the audience effectively.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an exhaustive documentary

Replaces "comprehensive" with "exhaustive", emphasizing the thoroughness and completeness of the documentary.

a thorough documentary

Uses "thorough" instead of "comprehensive", highlighting the detailed and careful nature of the documentary's investigation.

an in-depth documentary

Emphasizes the level of detail and deep analysis presented in the documentary by using "in-depth".

a detailed documentary

Focuses on the documentary's presentation of many details and specific information.

a complete documentary

Highlights the documentary's all-inclusive nature and lack of omissions.

an all-encompassing documentary

Stresses the documentary's broad scope and ability to cover all relevant aspects of a subject.

a wide-ranging documentary

Indicates that the documentary covers a diverse array of topics or perspectives.

a far-reaching documentary

Suggests the documentary explores the extensive implications and consequences of a subject.

an expansive documentary

Highlights the scale and breadth of the documentary's coverage.

a sweeping documentary

Implies the documentary covers a wide range of time, geography or subject matter.

FAQs

How can I use "a comprehensive documentary" in a sentence?

You can use "a comprehensive documentary" to describe a film that covers a subject thoroughly, such as: "The film is "a comprehensive documentary" about the history of jazz music".

What are some alternatives to "a comprehensive documentary"?

Alternatives include "an exhaustive documentary", "a thorough documentary", or "an in-depth documentary". Each emphasizes a slightly different aspect of thoroughness and detail.

Is it redundant to say "a very comprehensive documentary"?

While not grammatically incorrect, adding "very" to "a comprehensive documentary" can be seen as redundant. The word "comprehensive" already implies a high degree of thoroughness. It's often more impactful to demonstrate the documentary's comprehensiveness through specific details.

What distinguishes "a comprehensive documentary" from a regular documentary?

"A comprehensive documentary" implies a detailed and broad examination of a subject, while a regular documentary might only present a partial or introductory view. The comprehensive version is expected to cover various angles and perspectives.