critic

1 of 2

noun (1)

crit·​ic ˈkri-tik 

1

a

: one who engages often professionally in the analysis, evaluation, or appreciation of works of art or artistic performances

a literary critic

a film critic

a theater critic

b

: one who expresses a reasoned opinion on any matter especially involving a judgment of its value, truth, righteousness, beauty, or technique

Critics of the new law say that it will not reduce crime.

2

: one given to harsh or captious judgment

a fierce critic of immigration policies

critic

2 of 2

noun (2)

1

archaic : criticism

2

archaic : critique

Synonyms of critic

Noun (1)

• criticizer

Examples of critic in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the president's hard-core critics are going to attack him no matter what he does

the restaurant critic said that the fries at that fast-food outlet were the worst she'd ever eaten

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

At the same time, California itself has faced growing scrutiny over policies critics say fall short on climate considerations, particularly those aimed at boosting the tech sector and accelerating development at the expense of environmental protections. —Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 30 Dec. 2025

At the time, EW TV critic Gillian Telling told the Cincinnati Inquirer that the show's bad reviews were to blame for its demise. —Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025

Afterwards, Bernice King, CEO of The King Center, issued a pointed response on social media that critics say reframed the broader debate around identity, power, and accountability in American politics and culture. —Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025

Shortly after Abd el-Fattah arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport, critics began circulating his past social media posts. —Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 29 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

borrowed from Latin criticus, borrowed from Greek kritikós, derivative of kritikós, adjective, "discerning, capable of judging," from kritós "separated, picked out" (verbal adjective of krī́nein "to separate, choose, decide, judge") + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at certain entry 1

Noun (2)

borrowed from French critique critique entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Noun (2)

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing critic

• textual critic

Rhymes for critic

• clitic
• lytic
• analytic
• anxiolytic
• astrocytic
• austenitic
• catalytic
• cytolytic
• dioritic
• diphtheritic
• dolomitic
• endophytic

Kids Definition

critic

noun

crit·​ic

ˈkrit-ik

1

: a person who makes or gives a judgment of the value, worth, beauty, or excellence of something

2

: faultfinder