commentator
n. countablen. an expert who describes an event as it happens or gives their opinion on a specific subject in the media. You often hear them during sports games or news broadcasts.
n. a person who provides a live description of an event or offers expert analysis and opinion on a particular field. Often used in the context of broadcast journalism or sports media.
The sports commentator explains every play during the game.
A political commentator was invited to the studio to discuss the potential impact of the new law.
While the play-by-play announcer describes the immediate action, the color commentator provides the historical context and tactical analysis that seasoned viewers expect.
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.