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.

—H. A. Overstreet

b

: an expression of opinion

The magazine article is a commentary on cyberbullying.

Synonyms of commentary

• comment
• analysis
• observation

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

Active engagement with new perspectives could’ve helped spice things up, but there’s only so much generational commentary available when the priorities of those generations are taken off the table. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2026

Dig deep and sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free Survivor Weekly newsletter to have all the latest news, interviews, and commentary sent right to your inbox. —Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026

While Bright Lights is a clinically sound and narratively solid depiction of a sickness, this movie adaptation lacks the novel’s deliciously acerbic descriptions of New York’s sick social scene as well as its protagonist’s self-aware commentaries. —Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026

That had everyone dumbfounded over what was going on and sharing strong reactions to Bucknor's inaccurate call, including those providing commentary on Tuesday night's game, and many fans watching the events unfold. —Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see comment entry 1

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for commentary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

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