commentary

noun

com·​men·​tary ˈkä-mən-ˌter-ē 

-ˌte-rē

plural commentaries

1

a

: an explanatory treatise

—usually used in plural

Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England

b

: a record of events usually written by a participant

—usually used in plural

Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War

2

a

: a systematic series of explanations or interpretations (as of a writing)

a commentary on Dante's Divine Comedy

b

: comment sense 2

3

a

: something that serves for illustration or explanation

The dark, airless apartments and sunless factories … are a sad commentary upon our civilization.

—Harry Allen Overstreet

b

: an expression of opinion

The magazine article is a commentary on cyberbullying.

Synonyms

• analysis
• comment
• exposition
• play-by-play

Examples of commentary in a Sentence

The television show features political commentary by well-known journalists.

The magazine includes humor and social commentary.

The book is a commentary on her experiences abroad.

I like listening to his social commentaries.

He provided commentary during the game.

The major television stations provided running commentaries on the election results.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hilton’s commentary on his YouTube channel (which has 475,000 subscribers) is rabid in its anti-Lively tilt. —Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025

By now, the commentary is as essential to South Park as the comedy. —Sezin Keohler, EW.com, 24 Jan. 2025

In the hundred years since, The New Yorker has become a multi-platform enterprise renowned for its definitive reporting and commentary on politics, culture, and the arts, along with its award-winning audio and film divisions and the annual New Yorker Festival. —The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2025

Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer. —Megan Cassidy-Welch, CNN, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see comment entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

commentary

noun

com·​men·​tary ˈkäm-ən-ˌter-ē 

plural commentaries

: a series of comments or notes

also : a book made up of such material

—usually used in plural