Words / C1

KOM-uh-ntree/ˈkɒməntri/

Commentary is a spoken running description, or a critical discussion: football commentary, a commentary on the novel. Comment is a shorter remark; commentator is the person. A comment thread is not a commentary in the academic sense.

Meaning

A spoken description of an event as it happens, or a critical discussion of a subject.

Examples

• “His commentary on the novel was sharp and fair.”
• “Turn the commentary off if you want to hear the crowd.”
• “Her commentary on the data was more useful than the data dump.”

Good to know

sports commentary / a commentary on a text. Person: commentator. Short remark: comment.

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