What does commentariat mean?
Commentariat is a collective noun for the world of professional opinion-makers — columnists, broadcasters, pundits, and talking heads whose job is to interpret the news in public. The word deliberately echoes 'proletariat', grafting the same '-ariat' suffix onto 'comment' to suggest that commentators form a recognizable social class. It emerged in British and American political journalism in the late twentieth century and is frequently used with a wry or critical edge: to speak of 'the commentariat' is often to imply a self-referential, mutually admiring elite that talks mostly to itself. The term appears most often in phrases like 'the political commentariat' or 'the Washington commentariat'. Because it names a class rather than a person, it has no plural of its own and is rarely used neutrally — even straightforward references tend to carry a faint whiff of satire, making it a favorite of media critics and politicians alike.
nounThe collective body of commentators, especially journalists, pundits, and opinion writers who publicly comment on news, politics, and current affairs, typically as a group viewed with some detachment or skepticism.
- The community of journalists, pundits, and commentators collectively, especially when regarded as a distinct social or professional class.
- Used pejoratively to imply a self-important, out-of-touch elite of opinion-makers.
"The commentariat spent the week debating whether the policy shift was bold or reckless."
"The decision drew near-universal condemnation from the commentariat."
"He dismissed the fuss as mere chatter from the Washington commentariat."
'Commentariat' denotes a collective and does not take a regular plural; referring to multiple such groups requires rephrasing (e.g., 'both the left-wing and right-wing commentariats' is rare and awkward).
"The commentariat reacted swiftly to the leaked memo."
Coined by borrowing the '-ariat' ending from 'proletariat', 'commentariat' is a satirical 20th-century label for the chattering class of professional opining — a word that mocks its own subject simply by existing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of commentariat
Commentariat was formed in the twentieth century by blending 'commentary' (and its agent 'commentator') with the '-ariat' ending of 'proletariat' and 'bureaucratariat'-style formations like 'secretariat', humorously implying that commentators constitute a class akin to the working class or an official body. The underlying root traces back through French 'commentaire' to Latin 'commentum', meaning an invention, contrivance, or note. Its coinage is generally credited to the sphere of British political journalism, with usage spreading to American media later in the century; precise first-attestation details vary across sources.
How commentariat is actually used
Usually treated as a mass noun with no plural; often carries a slightly mocking or skeptical connotation, framing commentators as a self-regarding class. Common in British and American political journalism since the late 20th century.
Easily confused with commentariat
A commentator is an individual who gives opinions on events, while the commentariat refers to such people collectively as a class or group.