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

The Venezuelan Information Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on criticism of the app. —Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025

If the 2025 Ravens’ undoing is the team’s struggle in the trenches, DeCosta will deservedly bear the criticism for not doing more in the offseason to create more depth and also not adding more at the trade deadline. —Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025

Her artwork often carries a strong political message, including criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza since October 7, 2023, and reflections on other crises in the Middle East. —Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025

Mamdani, who leads the race after a surprise Democratic primary win over Cuomo, has faced growing criticism for backing proposals to relax prostitution laws — a move opponents say would push an already chaotic street over the edge. —Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025

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
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism

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