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

As criticism over competitive disparities intensified following the meet, pro-trans activists pushed back with the familiar argument that inclusion matters more than results, while opponents argued female athletes lose opportunities in the process. —Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026

The swim, revealed in government emails obtained by The Associated Press, comes to light amid criticism over Patel’s use of the FBI plane and his global travel that has blended professional responsibilities with leisure activities. —Jim Mustian, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026

Stewart herself has vowed to carry on despite the criticism. —Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026

The series recreates ordinary Soviet life from the period with painstaking detail and spares no one and nothing in its criticisms of what led to the disaster and how it was handled. —David Faris, TheWeek, 14 May 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