commentator
Americannoun
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commentators
plural
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a person who discusses news, sports events, weather, or the like, as on television or radio.
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a person who makes commentaries.
noun
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a person who provides a spoken commentary for a broadcast, film, etc, esp of a sporting event
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a person who writes notes on a text, event, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of commentator
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin commentātor interpreter, equivalent to commentā ( rī ) to interpret ( Latin: to think about, prepare, discuss, write, perhaps frequentative of comminīscī to devise; see comment) + Latin -tor -tor
Explanation
A person who analyzes and discusses topics in politics and sports is called a commentator. If you want to hear opinions on the news rather than the news itself, listen to commentators. A reporter delivers the news and a commentator analyzes it, sometimes within the same news program. If you're a top sports commentator, you may become an even bigger household name than the players you are discussing, and you may pull in just as much money too. Political commentators, who often offer more opinion rather than analysis, are also sometimes called pundits or talking heads.
Vocabulary lists containing commentator
myPerspectives 10.2
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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:
One commentator wrote "can't lie the new gaffer is winning me over" using slang for a boss.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
As the network’s famed college basketball commentator Dick Vitale would say, “That’s awesome, baby!”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Christian right commentator Allie Beth Stuckey said she was “selfish.”
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
Earlier Thursday, conservative political commentator Sean Hannity released an episode featuring Hilton that was recorded in recent weeks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Second, in the way my father had taught me, by attempting to find or reconstruct the correct text, the text the commentator who had offered the simple explanation must have had before him.
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
Intervention, according to some commentators can only go so far.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
But Lamy, who has worked for AFP for over 20 years, warned commentators against rushing to judge the couple.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
"It would be a mistake to imagine a youth movement or a Gen Z movement - these are only convenient myths for commentators."
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Often, commentators first clarify that they’re open to questioning narratives before arguing that this specific narrative shouldn’t be questioned.
From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026
He laid heavy emphasis on the early and late medieval Talmudic commentators, and we were always expected to come to class knowing the Talmud text and these commentators in advance.
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.
