commentary

UK: /ˈkɒməntəri/ US: /ˈkɑmənˌtɛri/ ,(kom′ən ter′ē)

Inflections of 'commentary' (n): npl: commentaries

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

com•men•tar•y /ˈkɑmənˌtɛri/   n., pl. -ies. 

1. Literature a series of comments, explanations, or descriptions:
   [uncountable] provided commentary on the players.
   [countable] a running commentary on the game.
2. Literature an essay or other long writing that gives an explanation or interpretation:
   [countable] Write a commentary on one of Shakespeare's plays.
3. [countable] anything serving to illustrate a point about a state of affairs:
   The high dropout rate is a sad commentary on our school system.

See -men-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

com•men•tar•y  (kom′ən ter′ē), n., pl. -tar•ies. 

1. Literature a series of comments, explanations, or annotations:
   a commentary on the Bible; news followed by a commentary.
2. Literature an explanatory essay or treatise:
   a commentary on a play; Blackstone's commentaries on law.
3. anything serving to illustrate a point, prompt a realization, or exemplify, esp. in the case of something unfortunate:
   The dropout rate is a sad commentary on our school system.
4. Usually, commentaries. records of facts or events:
   Commentaries written by Roman lawyers give us information on how their courts functioned.

• Latin commentārium notebook, noun, nominal use of neuter of commentārius, equivalent. to comment(um) comment + -ārius -ary
• 1375–1425; late Middle English commentaries (plural)

com•men•tar•i•al  (kom′ən târ′ē əl), adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

commentary / ˈkɒməntərɪ -trɪ/ noun ( -taries)

1. an explanatory series of notes or comments
2. a spoken accompaniment to a broadcast, film, etc, esp of a sporting event
3. an explanatory essay or treatise on a text
4. (usually plural) a personal record of events or facts: the commentaries of Caesar