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

• 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

Already, the Combs verdict is fueling criticism that prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which is known for being particularly aggressive, overcharged the case. —James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025

The court decision triggered calls from Republicans and Democrats alike to fund the bill, as well as criticism about the impact of partisan politics on delaying a program focused on youth literacy. —Cleo Krejci, jsonline.com, 8 July 2025

That decision drew sharp criticism from European football chiefs. —Matt Slater, New York Times, 8 July 2025

Nearly a dozen law enforcement agencies statewide have signed partnership agreements with ICE, drawing criticisms from some residents. —Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 8 July 2025

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
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism

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