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 of criticism

• critique
• 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

Vargo, 71, shrugged off criticism in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel. — Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026

Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s arrival in Washington — and the fanfare surrounding his visit — is running into criticism by some Republicans who are concerned about the optics. — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2026

The reference to accurately reporting votes is particularly significant in Venezuela, where the government’s handling of the 2024 presidential election became the focus of intense domestic and international criticism. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026

But drone technology has also faced criticism across the country from people concerned about noise and privacy issues, especially in states like New Jersey. — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026

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

Rhymes for criticism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• sophism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism

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