mockumentary

American  

[mok-yuh-men-tuh-ree, ‑tree] / ˌmɒk yəˈmɛn tə ri, ‑tri /

noun

Movies,

1. a movie or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary.

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mockumentary British  

/ ˌmɒkjʊˈmɛntərɪ, -trɪ /

noun

1. a satirical television or radio programme in the form of a parody of a documentary

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Etymology

Origin of mockumentary

mock + (doc)umentary

Example Sentences

Alas, the pair’s romantic break-up became Twitter official in 2015, prior to the debut of ABC’s mockumentary sitcom “The Muppets.”

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026

Make that four leads, since director and co-writer Matt Johnson and his composer-best friend Jay McCarrol each play themselves twice, thanks to archival footage presented in this zippy mockumentary as evidence of time travel.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

His output included classic films like 1984's rock music mockumentary "This is Spinal Tap," fantasy gem "The Princess Bride" from 1987, and seminal coming-of-age movie "Stand By Me."

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

But his first big success came with the 1984 mockumentary, This Is Spinal Tap, which chronicled the misadventures of a fictional British heavy metal band.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025

When he dragged the demo reel for “This Is Spinal Tap” around town, he kept hearing that a mockumentary about a British rock group whose drummers kept dying under bizarre circumstances would never work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025