commented

Commented is the past tense and past participle of the verb comment. It describes the act of making remarks or providing commentary on a subject, as well as the act of annotating text or code with notes. In English, commented can refer to social or editorial input, and in technical contexts it can indicate that code or configuration contains explanatory notes.

Etymology and form: Commented derives from the verb comment, which ultimately traces to older forms such as Old French comment and Latin commentum. The regular English past tense is formed with the suffix -ed, yielding commented.

Usage in language and editing: In everyday use, someone who has spoken about a topic has commented on it. In writing and publishing, a manuscript or draft may be described as being commented by reviewers, editors, or colleagues, meaning that notes, critiques, or suggestions have been added. The phrase “well commented” can describe text that includes useful annotations or clarifications.

Software and technical usage: In programming and configuration, “commented” often refers to text that is included for explanation but not executed. For example, a function can be commented to explain its purpose. Related terminology includes “commented out,” which means lines of code have been disabled by turning them into comments rather than removing them. Well-commented code typically includes inline explanations to aid future maintenance.

Examples: She commented on the proposal during the meeting. The document was heavily commented by the reviewer. The code is commented with brief descriptions of each function, and some lines were later commented out during testing.

See also: comment, commentary, annotations, code comments, editorial process.