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

Still, Joe’s criticism of Nathan’s negative energy is fair, particularly when his defeatist attitude is contrasted with Aesha’s absolute gameness. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2026

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni issued the most blunt criticism of Sanchez, as well as announcing that Italy would enforce air and sea border controls with Spain. — ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

In recent years, hyperscale data centers have drawn widespread criticism due to their massive power consumption and heavy draw on natural resources, particularly freshwater. — CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026

Chiron turns retrograde in your 10th House of Career, stirring old sensitivity around criticism, authority, reputation, or whether your work is being seen clearly. — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 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