criticism

noun

crit·​i·​cism ˈkri-tə-ˌsi-zəm 

1

a

: the act of criticizing usually unfavorably

seeking encouragement rather than criticism

b

: a critical observation or remark

an unfair criticism

had a minor criticism of the design

c

: critique

2

: the art of evaluating or analyzing works of art or literature

also : writings expressing such evaluation or analysis

an anthology of literary criticism

3

: the scientific investigation of literary documents (such as the Bible) in regard to such matters as origin, text, composition, or history

Synonyms

• critique
• examen
• notice
• review

Examples of criticism in a Sentence

There was much public criticism directed at the senator.

In this job you need to be able to take criticism.

I asked my sister for some constructive criticism of my essay before I tried to revise it.

I had one minor criticism about her design.

Recent Examples on the Web

Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor and possible chairman nominee if Mr. Trump wins the election, echoed Professor Mankiw’s criticisms of the Fed under Mr. Powell. —Jonathan Swan, New York Times, 8 June 2024

In apparent celebration of LGBTQ+ people everywhere this Pride month, conservative political commentator and ex-View cohost Meghan McCain spiced up her latest criticism of her former workplace with a powerful invocation of a key Brokeback Mountain quote. —EW.com, 7 June 2024

Dissent among Democrats Schumer, the top-ranking Jewish official in the U.S., previously came under criticism for publicly calling on Israel to hold new elections. —Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 7 June 2024

The Department of Economic Opportunity’s lack of progress during a dire stretch for vendors, many of whom are Latino immigrants, has drawn fierce criticism from a prominent industry executive in private conversations with officials and at public meetings. —Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

critic entry 1 + -ism

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing criticism

• counter-criticism
• form criticism
• higher criticism
• lower criticism
• self-criticism
• textual criticism

Kids Definition

criticism

noun

crit·​i·​cism ˈkrit-ə-ˌsiz-əm 

1

: the act of criticizing and especially of finding fault

2

: a critical remark or comment

3

: a careful judgment or review especially by a critic