Definition

1. Noun:
   • A series of remarks or observations describing an event as it happens: A spoken or written account that provides a continuous description and often analysis of an event, especially one broadcast live.
   • An explanatory essay or treatise: A set of explanatory or critical notes added to a text, book, or other written material.

Usage

• Commentary is used to describe a spoken or written narrative that accompanies and explains something.
• It is often used in contexts like sports broadcasting, news analysis, and academic texts.
• It can be a countable noun (e.g., "several commentaries") or an uncountable noun (e.g., "provide commentary").

Examples

• Noun:
  • The journalist provided live commentary on the election results.
  • The book includes a detailed commentary on each chapter.
  • I listened to the radio commentary during the football match.

Advanced Usage

• "Running commentary": A continuous, real-time description of events as they occur.
  • The taxi driver gave us a running commentary on the city's history.
• "Social commentary": The act of using a creative work (like a film or novel) to critique society and its institutions.
  • The novel is a sharp piece of social commentary.

Variants and Related Words

• Commentate (verb): To provide a spoken commentary, especially for a broadcast.
  • She will commentate on the Olympic Games.
• Commentator (noun): A person who provides a commentary, especially on television or radio.
  • He is a famous political commentator.

Synonyms

• Analysis: Detailed examination of the elements or structure of something.
• Explanation: A statement that makes something clear.
• Narration: The action or process of narrating a story.

Related Phrases

• "Color commentary": In sports broadcasting, supplementary analysis and anecdotes provided alongside the main play-by-play description.
  • The former player added excellent color commentary.
• "Audio commentary": A spoken track added to a film or television show on DVD/Blu-ray, featuring insights from the director or cast.
  • We watched the film with the director's audio commentary.

Idioms

• "A sad commentary on something": A remark or situation that serves as a telling, often negative, critique of a state of affairs.
  • The number of homeless people is a sad commentary on our society's priorities.

Noun

1. a written explanation or criticism or illustration that is added to a book or other textual material
   • he wrote an extended comment on the proposal