commentary
Americannoun
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commentaries
plural
-
a series of comments, explanations, or annotations.
a commentary on the Bible; news followed by a commentary.
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an explanatory essay or treatise.
a commentary on a play; Blackstone's commentaries on law.
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anything serving to illustrate a point, prompt a realization, or exemplify, especially in the case of something unfortunate.
The dropout rate is a sad commentary on our school system.
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Usually commentaries. records of facts or events.
Commentaries written by Roman lawyers give us information on how their courts functioned.
noun
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an explanatory series of notes or comments
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a spoken accompaniment to a broadcast, film, etc, esp of a sporting event
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an explanatory essay or treatise on a text
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(usually plural) a personal record of events or facts
the commentaries of Caesar
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of commentary
1375–1425; late Middle English commentaries (plural) < Latin commentārium notebook, noun use of neuter of commentārius, equivalent to comment ( um ) comment + -ārius -ary
Explanation
When the language in a work of literature such as "Beowulf" is difficult to understand, it is helpful to read from an edition that includes a commentary — an explanation or expansion or criticism added to the original material. Editorials go hand-in-hand with commentaries, since both express a writer's opinions. Commentary can be oral as well as written. Each year, following the President's State of the Union address, you can tune into the networks for commentary from respected news anchors. In fact, political commentary has become so pervasive in our media that some feel it has replaced reporting.
Vocabulary lists containing commentary
Argumentative Writing, List 2
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Journalism
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Awkward
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But the stakes are higher in the AI era, argues economics blogger Noah Smith, and the commentary from executives reflects that.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
“Investors are still carrying downside hedges while simultaneously trying to repair underexposure to the rally,” he said in emailed commentary on Thursday.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Consider it an overcorrection of hypercritical commentary that has historically targeted female stars throughout Hollywood history.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
This email was written by Aaron Back, Editor for Heard on the Street, The Wall Street Journal’s home for financial analysis and commentary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
There was nothing to report, certainly, nothing worth commentary.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Watch highlights of the weekend's action on Sportscene, listen to match commentaries on Sportsound, and follow live text updates on the BBC Sport website and app.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026
And some advisers produce their own data-driven market commentaries that look ahead at trends, which can affect client portfolios.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 26, 2026
The sequel arrives with four full commentaries, one for each film.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 21, 2026
A collection of commentaries by Xi Jinping, published in December in Qiushi, a magazine closely read by policymakers, sparked optimism the government could be ready to act.
From Barron's ● Dec. 27, 2025
After I was done memorizing the text and the commentaries, I began to go over the text again critically.
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
