commentator
Americannoun
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a person who discusses news, sports events, weather, or the like, as on television or radio.
-
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
-
a person who writes notes on a text, event, etc
Other Word Forms
- commentatorial adjective
- commentatorially adverb
- supercommentator noun
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.
Legendary BBC commentator Ted Lowe, predicting trouble may be ahead in the Crucible cauldron, says: "The butterflies must be floating around his tummy."
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
Miles Hoffman, a music commentator for NPR, has described syncopation as “a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Gay is an internationally acclaimed author, professor and social commentator whose work explores the intersections of race, gender and pop culture.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
That was followed by a picture of the rapper alongside conservative commentator Candace Owens, wearing one of his T-shirts.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
NBC’s news commentator Walter Winchell announced on his show that the attack hadn’t actually happened.
From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
