different between commentary vs explanation

English

Etymology

From Middle French commentaire, from Latin comment?rius, comment?rium (“notebook”), compare French commentaire. See comment.

Noun

commentary (countable and uncountable, plural commentaries)

1. a series of comments or annotations; especially, a book of explanations or expositions on the whole or a part of some other work
   • 1827, Henry Hallam, The Constitutional History of England

     This letter […] was published by him with a severe commentary.

2. (usually in the plural) a brief account of transactions or events written hastily, as if for a memorandum

3. an oral relation of an event, especially broadcast by television or radio, as it occurs

Synonyms

• (series of comments or annotations): scholia (ancient & medieval European works); secondary source

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• commentary in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

English

Alternative forms

• explaination (misspelling or obsolete spelling)

Etymology

From Latin explanatio (“an explanation, interpretation”), from explanare (“explain”); see explain.

Morphologically explain +? -ation

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??kspl??ne???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

explanation (countable and uncountable, plural explanations)

1. The act or process of explaining.

   The explanation was long and drawn-out.

2. Something that explains, makes understandable.

   An explanation for the UFO sightings was easily found.

3. A resolution of disputed points pursuant to discussion; a mutual clarification of disputed points; reconciliation.

Synonyms

• (act or process of explaining): clarification; elucidation; elaboration; explaining; femsplaining (pej., particularly by a feminist to a man); mansplaining, mansplanation (pej., particularly by a man to a woman)

Related terms

• explain
• explanatory
• explicative
• explicator
• explicatory

Translations

Further reading

• explanation in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• explanation in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.