critic

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noun (1)

crit·ic ˈkri-tik

: 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

: 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.

: one given to harsh or captious judgment

a fierce critic of immigration policies

critic

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Examples of critic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Tensions were high due to the campaign and the pandemic, and many critics asked why NBC would give Trump such a platform. —

Brian Steinberg, Variety, 15 Sep. 2023 Read full article Romney also emerged as one of the most vocal critics of Trump within the GOP — despite at one time seeking to be his secretary of state — ultimately being the only Republican senator who voted to convict him during his first impeachment and one of seven to do so during his second. —

Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2023 Some 96 hours after the Rostov visit, Prigozhin, who achieved Russia’s only significant territorial gain so far this year by capturing the city of Bakhmut, was dead, thus eliminating the most prominent pro-war critic of the Russian military’s failures in Ukraine. —

Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023 Here’s a roundup of the most noteworthy movies and TV shows on Max, as covered by The Wall Street Journal’s critics. —

WSJ, 14 Sep. 2023 The most accomplished member of the avant-garde Group of Five that from the early 1920s onward sought answers to those questions was the novelist, poet, musicologist, literary critic, art historian, and photographer Mário de Andrade. —

Larry Rohter, The New York Review of Books, 14 Sep. 2023 Moms for Liberty, in particular, has come under fire over its political ties and its calls to remove material from schools that, critics say, feature LGBTQ+ characters and promote racial inclusivity. —

Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2023 There were some critics of the deal because DTR is a rookie. —

Terry Pluto, cleveland, 3 Sep. 2023 But recently, Jordan’s government has taken steps to rein in free expression, including with the passage of new cybercrime legislation that could be used against critics of the monarchy. —

Aaron Boxerman, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'critic.' 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 (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

Time Traveler

The first known use of critic was in 1587

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