1. A remark, observation, or criticism; gossip; discourse; talk.
Their lavish comment when her name was named.
Tennyson.
2. A note or observation intended to explain, illustrate, or criticise the meaning of a writing, book, etc.; explanation; annotation; exposition.
All the volumes of philosophy,
With all their comments.
Prior.
Commentary
(Com"men*ta*ry) n.; pl. Commentaries [L. commentarius, commentarium, note book,
commentary: cf. F. commentaire. See Comment, v. i.]
1. A series of comments or annotations; esp., a book of explanations or expositions on the whole or a
part of the Scriptures or of some other work.
This letter . . . was published by him with a severe commentary.
Hallam.
2. A brief account of transactions or events written hastily, as if for a memorandum; — usually in the
plural; as, Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War.
Commentate
(Com"men*tate) v. t. & i. [L. commentatus, p. p. of commentari to meditate.] To write
comments or notes upon; to make comments. [R.]
Commentate upon it, and return it enriched.
Lamb.
Commentation
(Com`men*ta"tion) n.
1. The act or process of commenting or criticising; exposition. [R.]
The spirit of commentation.
Whewell.
2. The result of the labors of a commentator.
Commentator
(Com"men*ta`tor) n. [L. commentator: cf. F. commentateur.] One who writes a commentary
or comments; an expositor; an annotator.
The commentator's professed object is to explain, to enforce, to illustrate doctrines claimed as true.
Whewell.
Commentatorial
(Com`men*ta*to"ri*al) a. Pertaining to the making of commentaries. Whewell.
Commentatorship
(Com"men*ta`tor*ship) n. The office or occupation of a commentator.
Commenter
(Com"ment`er) n. One who makes or writes comments; a commentator; an annotator.
Commentitious
(Com`men*ti"tious) a. [L. commentitius.] Fictitious or imaginary; unreal; as, a commentitious
system of religion. [Obs.] Warburton.
Commerce
(Com"merce) n. (Formerly accented on the second syllable.) [F. commerce, L. commercium;
com- + merx, mercis, merchandise. See Merchant.]
1. The exchange or buying and selling of commodities; esp. the exchange of merchandise, on a large
scale, between different places or communities; extended trade or traffic.
The public becomes powerful in proportion to the opulence and extensive commerce of private men.
Hume.
2. Social intercourse; the dealings of one person or class in society with another; familiarity.
Fifteen years of thought, observation, and commerce with the world had made him [Bunyan] wiser.
Macaulay.
