commentator
n.-
1 sports/events (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Sportsomeone who describes a live event, like a football match, for people watching or listening.
a broadcaster who provides a live, spoken description of an event as it unfolds.
ExampleThe sports commentator got very excited when the player scored a goal in the final minute.
ExampleThe veteran commentator provided a seamless play-by-play account of the match, balancing technical analysis with the raw emotion of the stadium atmosphere.
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2 news/politics (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Academican expert who gives their opinion and explains news or political events to the public.
a person who provides systematic analysis or opinion on a particular subject, often in the media.
ExampleShe is a well-known political commentator who often appears on the evening news.
ExampleSocial commentators have noted that the shift in public discourse is largely driven by the rapid expansion of digital media platforms.
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3 legal/historical (n.) C1 Advanced Formal Technical Lawa scholar who writes explanations and notes about old laws or books.
a scholar who writes a series of explanatory notes or a detailed treatise on a specific text or legal code.
ExampleThe student studied the writings of a famous legal commentator from the 18th century.
ExampleThe medieval commentator provided extensive glosses on the margins of the manuscript to clarify the complex theological arguments within the main text.
UsageOften refers to historical figures like Blackstone in English law.
- scholar
- annotator
- glossator
In form, from Middle English commentator, from Latin commentātor (“author, inventor, interpreter, jailer”), from commentātus + -or (“-er: forming agent nouns”), from commentāri (“to ponder, to study, to write upon”), from comminīscor (“to think over, to invent”) + -tārī (“to frequently be ~ed”). In meaning, influenced by comment and commentary. By surface analysis, comment + -ator.