commentary

[kom-uhn-ter-ee]

noun

plural

commentaries 

1. a series of comments, explanations, or annotations.

   a commentary on the Bible; news followed by a commentary.

2. an explanatory essay or treatise.

   a commentary on a play; Blackstone's commentaries on law.

3. 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.

4. Usually commentaries. records of facts or events.

   Commentaries written by Roman lawyers give us information on how their courts functioned.

commentary

/ ˌkɒmənˈtɛərɪəl, -trɪ, ˈkɒməntərɪ /

noun

1. an explanatory series of notes or comments

2. a spoken accompaniment to a broadcast, film, etc, esp of a sporting event

3. an explanatory essay or treatise on a text

4. (usually plural) a personal record of events or facts

   the commentaries of Caesar

Other Word Forms

• commentarial adjective
• supercommentary noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of commentary¹

1375–1425; late Middle English commentaries (plural) < Latin commentārium notebook, noun use of neuter of commentārius, equivalent to comment ( um ) comment + -ārius -ary

Example Sentences

It showcases a music video for “The Fate of Ophelia,” behind-the-scenes clips from the video shoot, lyric videos and commentary on the album.

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There’s been plenty of commentary lately about how hard it is for adults to make friends.

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The swift response from companies underscores the pressure to distance themselves from political commentary that risks blowing back on their reputations.

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“Excessively entertainment-oriented portrayals desecrate the nation’s suffering and disrespect the people who made sacrifices,” read a recent commentary published in the state-run Economic Daily newspaper.

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Investors will be paying close attention to any more commentary Verizon has to provide about the leadership transition when the company reports third-quarter earnings on Oct.

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Related Words

• comment 
• criticism 
• critique 
• description 
• explanation 
• narration 
• observation 
• remark 
• review 
• treatise