Lewis & Short

commentum, i, v. comminiscor fin.

com-mĭniscor (con-m-), mentus, 3, v. a. dep. [miniscor, whence also reminiscor, stem men, whence mens, memini; cf. Varr. L. L. 6, § 44] (lit. to ponder carefully, to reflect upon; hence, as a result of reflection; cf. 1. commentor, II.), to devise something by careful thought, to contrive, invent, feign.

  1. I. (Class., of something untrue; esp. freq. in Plaut.) Reperi, comminiscere, cedo calidum consilium cito, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 71: fabricare quidvis, quidvis comminiscere, id. As. 1, 1, 89: mendacium, id. Ps. 2, 3, 23: dolum docte, id. ib. 4, 7, 64: maledicta, id. Bacch. 4, 9, 58: quid agam? aut quid comminiscar, Ter. Heaut. 4, 2, 7: nec me hoc commentum putes, Cic. Att. 6, 1, 8: tantum scelus, * Quint. 5, 13, 30.
    With relative-clause: neque quo pacto celem probrum queo comminisci, Plaut. Aul. 1, 1, 30; 1, 1, 37: fac Amphitruonem ab aedibus Ut abigas quovis pacto commentus sies, id. Am. 3, 3, 24 (cf. infra, P. a.).
    1. B. Of philosophic fiction (cf. commenticius), as antith. to actual, real: Epicurus monogrammos deos et nihil agentes commentus est, Cic. N. D. 2, 23, 59; so, occurrentia nescio quae, id. Fin. 4, 16, 43: quaedam, id. Fat. 3, 5.
  2. II. In gen., to devise, invent, contrive: nihil adversus tale machinationis genus parare aut comminisci oppidani conabantur, Liv. 37, 5, 5: id vectigal commentum alterum ex censoribus satis credebant, id. 29, 37, 4: novas litteras, Suet. Claud. 41: novum balinearum usum, id. Calig. 37; Flor. 2, 6, 27: Phoenices, litteras et litterarum operas, aliasque etiam artes, maria navibus adire, classe confligere, etc., Mel. 1, 12, 1: excubias nocturnas vigilesque, Suet. Aug. 30; id. Ner. 34; id. Vesp. 23.
    Note:
      1. 1. P. a.: commentus, a, um, in pass. signif., devised, invented, feigned, contrived, fictitious: dat gemitus fictos commentaque funera narrat, Ov. M. 6, 565: sacra, id. ib. 3, 558; 4, 37; id. A. A. 1, 319: crimen, Liv. 26, 27, 8: fraus, Paul. Sent. 5, 4, 8.
        Hence,
      2. 2. Subst.: commentum, i, n.
    1. A. (Class.) An invention, fabrication, fiction, falsehood: ipsis commentum placet, Ter. And. 1, 3, 20: opinionum commenta delet dies, Cic. N. D. 2, 2, 5 (cf. just before: opiniones fictas atque vanas): non sine aliquo commento miraculi, Liv. 1, 19, 5: mixta rumorum, Ov. M. 12, 54: animi, id. ib. 13, 38.
    2. B. Since the Aug. per., sometimes, a contrivance, Liv. 29, 37, 6; Suet. Vesp. 18; Just. 22, 4, 3 al.
    3. C. Nefanda, a project, plan, Just. 21, 4, 3: callidum, Dig. 27, 9, 9.
    4. D. A stratagem, in war, Flor. 1, 11, 2.
    5. E. A rhetorical figure, equiv. to commentatio, = ἐνθύμημα, Vitellius ap. Quint. 9, 2, 107; cf. id. ib. 5, 10, 1.