commentary

noun

com·​men·​tary ˈkä-mən-ˌter-ē 

-ˌte-rē

plural commentaries

1

a

: an explanatory treatise

—usually used in plural

Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England

b

: a record of events usually written by a participant

—usually used in plural

Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War

2

a

: a systematic series of explanations or interpretations (as of a writing)

a commentary on Dante's Divine Comedy

b

: comment sense 2

3

a

: something that serves for illustration or explanation

The dark, airless apartments and sunless factories … are a sad commentary upon our civilization.

—Harry Allen Overstreet

b

: an expression of opinion

The magazine article is a commentary on cyberbullying.

Synonyms

• analysis
• comment
• exposition
• play-by-play

Examples of commentary in a Sentence

The television show features political commentary by well-known journalists.

The magazine includes humor and social commentary.

The book is a commentary on her experiences abroad.

I like listening to his social commentaries.

He provided commentary during the game.

The major television stations provided running commentaries on the election results.

Recent Examples on the Web

This informed discussion, commentary and critical discourse – along with the news stories that provide the general public with a window into the buzz of the festival – are as much part of cinema culture’s ecosystem as the films themselves. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025

What began as industry-specific commentary evolved into an exploration of broader societal issues. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 May 2025

The quiet death of movie culture by Ellis Jamal Sutton Filmmaker Ellis Jamal Sutton may just be starting out, but his recent commentary on the state of cinema for his substack, Notes from the Studio, speaks to an awareness that will get him (and possibly you) very far. —Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 12 May 2025

Adding additional commentary to the pics, Moore shared a few of them individually to her Instagram Stories. —Kayla Grant, People.com, 11 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

see comment entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for commentary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

Kids Definition

commentary

noun

com·​men·​tary ˈkäm-ən-ˌter-ē 

plural commentaries

: a series of comments or notes

also : a book made up of such material

—usually used in plural