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
Many have championed comedy as a means of political commentary.
—Rosa Escandon, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Much like Part One includes input from Joel’s first wife, Elizabeth Weber, an integral engine of his early career, this installment offers sympathetic and sometimes emotional commentary from ex-wives Christie Brinkley and Katie Lee, along with daughter Alexa and current wife Alexis Roderick,.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 25 July 2025
Media commentary with a side of snark?Sign up forThe Watchlist newsletterwith Bill Goodykoontz.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 25 July 2025
The outlet said the network — which boasts 87 million followers across social media — is looking to leverage its specific brand of entertainment news and commentary, which includes live red carpet coverage, across its digital and social landscapes.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for commentary
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rosa Escandon, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Much like Part One includes input from Joel’s first wife, Elizabeth Weber, an integral engine of his early career, this installment offers sympathetic and sometimes emotional commentary from ex-wives Christie Brinkley and Katie Lee, along with daughter Alexa and current wife Alexis Roderick,.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 25 July 2025
Media commentary with a side of snark?Sign up forThe Watchlist newsletterwith Bill Goodykoontz.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 25 July 2025
The outlet said the network — which boasts 87 million followers across social media — is looking to leverage its specific brand of entertainment news and commentary, which includes live red carpet coverage, across its digital and social landscapes.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for commentary
Cite this Entry
“Commentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commentary. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share