commentary

English

Etymology

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

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

   We listened to the football commentary while watching the match.

   • Henry Hallam

     This letter […] was published by him with a severe commentary.

2. (usually in the plural) a brief account of transactions or events written hastily, as if for a memorandum

   Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War

3. an oral description 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

Terms derived from commentary

• audio commentary
• commentary track

• DVD commentary
• political commentary

• social commentary
• supercommentary

Translations

A series of comments or annotations

• Armenian: մեկնաբանություն (hy) (meknabanutʿyun)
• Basque: iruzkin, azalpen, zeresan
• Bulgarian: коментар (bg) m (komentar)
• Catalan: comentari (ca) m
• Finnish: kommentaari (fi)
• Galician: comentario m
• German: Kommentar (de) m
• Greek: σχόλια (el) n pl (schólia)

  Ancient: σχόλια n pl (skhólia), παρεκβολή f (parekbolḗ), ὑπόμνημα n (hupómnēma)

• Hebrew: פרוש‎‎ (he) f (perúsh)
• Hungarian: kommentár (hu)

• Kurdish: şirove (ku) f, ravek (ku) f, ravekirin (ku) f, îzah (ku) f, şerh (ku) f, tefsîr (ku) f, ronkirin (ku) f, komentar (ku) f
• Latin: comentārium n, commentārium n
• Polish: komentarz (pl) m
• Portuguese: comentário (pt) m
• Russian: коммента́рий (ru) m (kommentárij), аннота́ция (ru) f (annotácija)
• Scottish Gaelic: iomradh m
• Spanish: comentario (es) m
• Telugu: వ్యాఖ్యానము (te) (vyākhyānamu)

A brief account of transactions or events written hastily

• Bulgarian: репортаж (bg) m (reportaž)
• Catalan: comentari (ca) m
• Finnish: kommentaari (fi)

• Hebrew: ^{(please verify)} הערות‎‎ f pl (he'arot)
• Scottish Gaelic: iomradh m

An oral description of an event, especially broadcast by television or radio, as it occurs

• Finnish: selostus (fi)
• Greek: σχολιασμός (el) m (scholiasmós)
• Hebrew: דווח‎‎ m (divuah)

• Russian: репорта́ж (ru) m (reportáž)
• Telugu: వ్యాఖ్యానము (te) (vyākhyānamu)

Further reading

• commentary in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913