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

The party also faces divisions over how to balance criticism of the Israeli government with concerns about Israel’s security and Iran’s regional ambitions. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026

The beleaguered aircraft carrier with about 7,500 personnel is scheduled to dock Thursday in San Diego, amid sharp criticism over its prolonged deployment in the Middle East. — Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2026

Wilson told an onstage conversation on his career at the BFI London Film Festival that criticism of the film and threats against the directors were largely from people who had not seen the work. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026

The mayor faced criticism on Wednesday both from Jewish groups for his focus on Israel’s military campaign in Gaza on the anniversary and from pro-Palestinian protesters who accused the mayor of betraying the cause. — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 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