commentary

English Online Dictionary. What means commentary‎? What does commentary mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle French commentaire, from Latin commentārius, commentārium (“notebook”), compare French commentaire. See comment.

Pronunciation

enPR: kŏm′ən-tə-rē, kŏm′ən-trē

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɒm.ən.t(ə.)ɹi/ (Received Pronunciation, Canada)
• IPA^(key): /ˈkɔm.ən.t(ə.)ɹi/ (Standard Southern British, General Australian, New Zealand)

enPR: kŏm′ən-târē

• enPR: kä′mən-tĕrē, IPA^(key): /ˈkɑ.mənˌtɛɹ.i/ (General American, father-bother merger, Mary–marry–merry merger)

enPR: kə-mĕn′trē, kə-mĕn′tə-rē

• (Indic) IPA^(key): /kəˈmɛɳ.ʈ(ə.)ɾi/

Noun

commentary (countable and uncountable, plural commentaries)

1. A series of comments or annotations; especially, a book of explanations or expositions on the whole or a part of some other work.
2. (usually in the plural) A brief account of transactions or events written hastily, as if for a memorandum.

3. An oral relation of an event, especially broadcast by television or radio, as it occurs.

Synonyms

• (series of comments or annotations): scholia (ancient & medieval European works); secondary source

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• “commentary”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.