What does commentated mean?
Commentated is the past form of the verb commentate, meaning to deliver a continuous spoken description or analysis of an event, most commonly a sporting fixture, as it unfolds. Broadcasters who commentated matches, races, and ceremonies became the familiar voices through which audiences experienced events they could not attend in person, making the word central to the history of radio and television journalism. While its dominant sense is live event narration, the verb can also describe providing systematic explanatory remarks on a written work or complex subject. Commentated sits in a formal register: it implies professional expertise and sustained performance rather than casual remark, which distinguishes it from the ordinary verb comment. Writers sometimes debate whether one should say 'commentated on the match' or 'commentated the match'; both appear in reputable usage, though the former is often preferred by style guides. The word derives ultimately from Latin roots shared with commentary, commentator, and comment itself.
verbPast tense of "commentate": to provide spoken commentary on an event, especially a sports match or public occasion, typically for radio or television.
- To serve as a commentator on an event, delivering a continuous spoken account of it, especially for broadcast media.
- (Less common) To write or give a series of explanatory remarks or notes on a text or subject.
"She commentated on the Olympic finals for nearly two decades before retiring from broadcasting."
"Murray Walker commentated on Formula One races for over two decades with unmistakable enthusiasm."
"The retired professor commentated on the election results for the national broadcaster."
Some style purists insist broadcasters should say they 'commentated ON the match' rather than 'commentated the match' — a grammatical squabble that plays out live on air every weekend.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of commentated
The verb commentate entered English in the late 18th century, derived from the post-classical Latin verb commentari, meaning to ponder, devise, or write about a subject. This Latin root also gave rise to the noun commentarium (a collection of notes), which evolved into the modern English words commentary and comment, making commentated part of a tight-knit family of related terms. Its rise to prominence came with the growth of radio broadcasting in the early twentieth century, when live sports commentary created a natural home for the word in everyday journalistic language.
Related word forms
How commentated is actually used
The word is strongly associated with professional broadcasting, particularly sports journalism, and carries a slightly formal register. In Britain especially, careful writers often prefer the construction 'commentate on something' over the direct transitive 'commentate something', though both are widely used in practice. It is not used for casual everyday remarks — that territory belongs to 'comment'.
Easily confused with commentated
"Commented" means made a remark or observation in general discussion, while "commentated" specifically means delivered continuous professional commentary, as a broadcaster covering a sports event.