# commenting

/ˈkɑmɛntɪŋ/ (US) · /kˈɒmɛntɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/commenting
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. giving an opinion

verb · CEFR B1

expressing an opinion or reaction about something you have seen or heard.

For teachers: expressing a verbal or written opinion or reaction. Intransitive, typically taking the preposition 'on'.

- The reporter was commenting on the new law during the live broadcast.
- Several analysts were commenting on the sudden market shift, attempting to reassure investors that the volatility was merely a temporary correction.

Usage: Usually followed by the preposition 'on'.

### 2. the act of writing remarks

noun · CEFR B2

the activity of writing notes or opinions, especially on social media or in a document.

For teachers: the act of making remarks or providing a commentary. Often used in the context of digital interaction or textual analysis.

- The constant commenting on his post made him decide to turn off notifications.
- The professor noted that the student's commenting in the margins of the manuscript showed a deep engagement with the primary source material.

### 3. explaining code

verb · CEFR B2 · Technical

adding notes to computer code so that other people can understand how it works.

For teachers: placing explanatory text within computer source code that is ignored by the compiler or interpreter.

- You should spend more time commenting your code so your teammates can follow it.
- The lead developer insisted on commenting every function thoroughly to ensure the legacy system remained maintainable for future engineers.

Usage: In this technical sense, the verb is often transitive, taking the code itself as the object.

## Examples

- She is commenting on the new office policy.
- Several experts are commenting on the recent economic changes during the live news broadcast.
- While the spokesperson declined to address the specific allegations, they spent several minutes commenting on the broader importance of corporate transparency and ethical leadership.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.