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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
During the judges' critiques, Mason Watts from Midnight Til Morning told Payne his family had won a competition in Australia to see One Direction from the front row at Madison Square Garden. Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 17 July 2025 The piece rightly notes that the question is open-ended and that students should take a strategic approach to answering it; however, the writer’s critique of the question—and the misguided strategies that students take in answering it—betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of the question’s intent. Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
Verb
While some praised the highlighting of the Black soldiers, others critiqued the simultaneous disparaging of Native and Mexican Americans, arguing that the shirt insinuates that these groups exist in contrast to the United States. Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 19 July 2025 As the trio posed for a bit of fun in the sun on vacation, some Instagram users instead used the celebratory moment as an opportunity to critique the then-new mom, which prompted a response from the Poosh founder. Hannah Sacks, People.com, 18 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for critique

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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Cite this Entry

“Critique.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critique. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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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