commentary
Americannoun
plural
commentaries-
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
-
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
- commentarial adjective
- supercommentary noun
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
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.
“Markets have been remarkably calm given the Iran situation and the implications for global energy flows,” said a team of macro strategists at Mizuho Securities, in commentary shared with MarketWatch via email on Tuesday.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
Over the years, he has moved beyond focusing on JPMorgan’s performance to sharing broader geopolitical and socioeconomic commentary, often warning of what he sees as underappreciated risks to the economy and world.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
His first game was in 1999, and he was there in the commentary box as Lincoln gained promotion to the Championship.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
Wells Fargo expects the company to maintain its capital expenditure forecast of $175 billion to $185 billion, with limited forward commentary on 2027.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
As the baby-blue scooter zipped through the streets of Rome, the goddess Rhea Silvia gave Annabeth a running commentary on how the city had changed over the centuries.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
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.
