commentary
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a spoken description of an event, like a football match, given while it is happening.
a real-time spoken account of an event, especially a sporting match, broadcast via radio or television.
Simple“I listened to the radio commentary of the game while I was driving home.”
In context“The veteran broadcaster provided a gripping blow-by-blow commentary of the championship final, capturing every nuance of the players' movements.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'on'.
- 02 C1 Advanced
a set of written notes or a book that explains a difficult text or subject.
a series of analytical or explanatory notes on a literary, religious, or legal text.
Simple“The student bought a modern commentary on the ancient poems to help with her essay.”
In context“The professor published a comprehensive legal commentary on the new environmental regulations, clarifying several ambiguous clauses for the benefit of practitioners.”
UsageCommonly takes the preposition 'on'.
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
comments that express an opinion about a situation in society.
a set of observations or criticisms regarding a social or political situation.
Simple“The movie is a sharp commentary on how social media affects our lives.”
In context“The novelist's latest work serves as a biting social commentary on the widening gap between the urban elite and rural communities.”
Synonyms
“Had they heard his commentary on the early Nazi crackdown on free speech perhaps they would have spotted parallels with their own intolerance.”
“Even after critical commentary from his colleagues in recent days, Bragg has maintained it was important to talk about big ideas.”
From Middle French commentaire, from Latin commentārius, commentārium (“notebook”), compare French commentaire. See comment.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.