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Added 9 October 2026

commentator

/ˈkɑmənˌteɪtəɹ/ noun

Latin root: commentātor Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about commentator at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An expert who observes and comments on something.
A writer who reports and analyzes events of the day.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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