critique

1 of 2

noun

cri·​tique krə-ˈtēk How to pronounce critique (audio)
kri-
: an act of criticizing
especially : a critical (see critical sense 1c) estimate or discussion
a critique of the poet's work
an honest critique of her art

critique

2 of 2

verb

critiqued; critiquing

transitive verb

: to examine critically : review
critique the plan

Did you know?

What’s the difference between criticism and critique? There’s some overlap in meaning, but they’re not the same in every situation. Criticism is most often used broadly to refer to the act of negatively criticizing someone or something (“I’m more interested in encouragement right now than criticism”) or a remark or comment that expresses disapproval (“She shared a minor criticism about the design”), while critique is a more formal word for a carefully expressed judgment, opinion, or evaluation of both the good and bad qualities of something—for example, books or movies. Thus, a critic can write a critique that may be full of criticism.

Examples of critique in a Sentence

Noun She wrote a radical critique of the philosopher's early essays. They gave a fair and honest critique of her art. Verb The class convened to critique the student's latest painting.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Prior to that, Miller was often criticized for her teaching methods, which included yelling, pitting the dancers against one another, and blunt critiques that often ended with the girls in tears. Shania Russell, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 But the board instead offered pointed critiques and questions, threatening the status of other ketamine posts. Darius Tahir, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 The 1933 book offers a critique of America’s education system, explaining how African American children, at the time, were being indoctrinated with concepts of inferiority in society. Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 Taken together, the two lawsuits represented a sweeping critique of how the two music giants were allegedly approaching termination rights, which were created in the 1970s as a means of helping correct the imbalance of power between large entertainment companies and individual creators. Bill Donahue, Billboard, 28 Feb. 2024 Chung originally hosted the gallery in his one-bedroom apartment in Historic Filipinotown, staging a 2010 exhibition with Gala Porras-Kim, whose projects often involve deep research and institutional critiques. Zachary Small, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Anyone levying a legitimate critique of an artist is ripe to be harassed. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2024 This fourth form of cultural appropriation—cultural exploitation—is the primary target of contemporary critique of which country music's rejection of Beyoncé and Lil Nas X, for instance, is an exemplar. Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 The party expresses its new ideology in simplistic, brassy terms, drawing on unsubtle readings of classics and disallowing critiques. Rana Mitter, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
In social media posts critiquing the speech, Trump warned that Biden was driving the nation into economic and national security decline. Susan Page, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 While some praise its flair, others have critiqued its effectiveness and longevity. Ben Morse, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 Waring frequently critiques the city's homeless programs and recently suggested nixing the Heat Office to weather financial headwinds projected in future budgets. Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 Chuck Raimi, who was employed in the city's law department primarily as deputy corporation counsel for 10 years, announced his departure Wednesday through a letter heavily critiquing the city's top attorney Conrad Mallett, whom Mayor Mike Duggan appointed last year. Detroit Free Press, 25 Jan. 2024 The items on display playfully critique consumer culture while serving as gateways into a labyrinth of surreal art and intricate storytelling. Laura Parker, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Industry groups like the American Securities Association, which represents financial advisers, have critiqued the proposal as being so broad as to prevent most firms from communicating with their clients. Lydia Beyoud, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2024 This character serves as a form of social commentary, critiquing the colonial elite and their lifestyles. Melissa Noel, Essence, 13 Feb. 2024 Honea also critiqued the lack of contingency funds in the plan. Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 31 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'critique.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from French, borrowed from Latin critica "evaluation of literary works," borrowed from Greek kritikḗ noun derivative from feminine of kritikós "discerning, capable of judging" — more at critic entry 1

Verb

derivative of critique entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1679, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1752, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of critique was in 1679

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Dictionary Entries Near critique

Cite this Entry

“Critique.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critique. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

critique

1 of 2 noun
cri·​tique
krə-ˈtēk
: an act or instance of criticizing
especially : a critical estimate or discussion

critique

2 of 2 verb
critiqued; critiquing
: to examine critically : review
critiqued the plan

More from Merriam-Webster on critique

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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