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.—
Harry Allen Overstreet
Harry Allen 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
The skill with which Ong has balanced human drama with robust social and political commentary is best exemplified by the project’s passage through Malaysia’s traditionally very conservative film censorship system with only minor cuts (the trimming of a long kissing scene being one of these).
—Richard Kuipers, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
Lively had a cameo in the Marvel film as Lady Deadpool, but the director’s commentary revealed that the Gossip Girl alum had a more impactful role.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
There’s a certain political commentary here, too, about who’s allowed to rule the great houses of Dune, what roles women are confined to, and how the Bene Gesserit turn women’s social limitations and underestimations to their advantage.
—Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 18 Nov. 2024
The series, known for its satirical commentary on current events, has spent many episodes over the past several weeks focused on the election, with the most recent discussing the number of LGBTQIA+ politicians who won seats at various levels of government.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 11 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for commentary 
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Richard Kuipers, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
Lively had a cameo in the Marvel film as Lady Deadpool, but the director’s commentary revealed that the Gossip Girl alum had a more impactful role.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
There’s a certain political commentary here, too, about who’s allowed to rule the great houses of Dune, what roles women are confined to, and how the Bene Gesserit turn women’s social limitations and underestimations to their advantage.
—Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 18 Nov. 2024
The series, known for its satirical commentary on current events, has spent many episodes over the past several weeks focused on the election, with the most recent discussing the number of LGBTQIA+ politicians who won seats at various levels of government.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 11 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for commentary
Dictionary Entries Near commentary
Cite this Entry
“Commentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commentary. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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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