What does doco mean?
"Doco" is an informal noun used in Australia and New Zealand as a shortened, affectionate form of "documentary." It refers to a non-fiction film or television programme that documents real events, people, places, or issues, whether for education, entertainment, or both. The word belongs firmly to everyday conversation: someone might say they "watched a great doco about the Outback" or that a broadcaster is "airing a new doco series." It carries a relaxed, familiar connotation and is common in speech, advertising, and casual reviews, but it is generally avoided in formal writing, where "documentary" remains the standard term. Outside Australasia the word may be unfamiliar, though it is usually easy to understand from context. As an example of clipping — the same process that produced "demo" from demonstration and "compo" from compensation — it offers a small window into the colloquial inventiveness of Australian and New Zealand English.
nounAn informal term, chiefly Australian and New Zealand, for a documentary film or television programme.
- A documentary film or television programme (informal, Australia and New Zealand).
"We stayed up late watching a doco about deep-sea divers."
"The ABC screened a fascinating doco on the Great Barrier Reef last night."
"He spent two years making a doco about his grandfather's war experiences."
The plural is regular and appears naturally in casual speech when discussing more than one documentary.
"The streaming service has added dozens of new wildlife docos this month."
Australians are so fond of documentaries that they gave the genre its own nickname — the humble 'doco'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of doco
"Doco" arose in the twentieth century as a clipped form of "documentary," itself derived from "document," which traces back through French to the Latin "documentum" (a lesson or proof), from "docere," meaning to teach. Its formation follows a distinctly Australasian pattern of playful shortening with an -o ending, seen also in words like "arvo" (afternoon) and "servo" (service station). The word is thus a native colloquialism of Australian and New Zealand English rather than a borrowing.
Related word forms
How doco is actually used
"Doco" is casual and conversational; it would be out of place in formal writing such as academic prose or news reports, where "documentary" is preferred. It is instantly understood in Australia and New Zealand but may puzzle other English speakers.
Easily confused with doco
"Documentary" is the standard full word used worldwide, while "doco" is merely its clipped, colloquial form heard mainly in Australia and New Zealand.