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
3
a
: something that serves for illustration or explanation
The dark, airless apartments and sunless factories … are a sad commentary upon our civilization.—
H. A. Overstreet
H. A. Overstreet
b
: an expression of opinion
The magazine article is a commentary on cyberbullying.
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
Dig deep and sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free Survivor Weekly newsletter to have all the latest news, interviews, and commentary sent right to your inbox.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Feb. 2026
First Amendment experts question whether such dismissals violate free speech protections for public employees’ off-duty commentary.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Gone were the college marching bands and Up With People oddities of the 1970s and '80s — in their place, megawatt stars, forever expanding the Monday-morning quarterbacking beyond the Xs and Os, into the realm of music and cultural commentary.
—Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026
Media commentary with a side of snark?
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commentary
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Feb. 2026
First Amendment experts question whether such dismissals violate free speech protections for public employees’ off-duty commentary.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Gone were the college marching bands and Up With People oddities of the 1970s and '80s — in their place, megawatt stars, forever expanding the Monday-morning quarterbacking beyond the Xs and Os, into the realm of music and cultural commentary.
—Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026
Media commentary with a side of snark?
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commentary
Cite this Entry
“Commentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commentary. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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