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commentary

noun
USKAH-muhn-tair-ee/ˈkɑ.mənˌtɛɹ.i/SayKOM-uhn-tuh-ree/ˈkɒm.ən.t(ə.)ɹi/AUS/ˈkɔm.ən.t(ə.)ɹi/

Pluralcommentaries

3 meanings of commentary

Practice

  1. 1
    nouncountable or uncountable
    Spoken description of an event, like a sports game, given while it is happening.

    Like a friend on the phone telling you everything that happens in a game, moment by moment.

    The radio commentary helped us follow the game from the car.

    She turned up the volume to hear the commentary during the race.

    Similarnarration, coverage, description, account, play-by-play

  2. 2
    nouncountable or uncountable
    Notes that explain another piece of writing, often collected together in a book.

    Like a guide who walks through a hard book with you and explains each part.

    The student edition includes commentary that explains the poem's difficult words.

    Her teacher added short commentary in the margins of the old play.

    Similarannotation, exegesis, explanation, interpretation, analysis

    Note
  3. 3
    nouncountable or uncountable
    Short, quickly written notes about things that happened, made to help you remember them.

    The shopkeeper kept quick commentary of each day's sales in a small notebook.

    She made hurried commentary of the meeting so she would not forget what was decided.

    Similarnotes, record, memorandum, log, journal

    Note

Practice

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Origin

It came from Latin commentarius, meaning "notebook," through Middle French commentaire.