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 government soon relented after almost a week of backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates and criticism from some Labor lawmakers. — ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026

Doescher’s comments come as the National Republican Senatorial Committee made el Sayed’s background and positions a central part of its criticism of him as Republicans look to make Michigan competitive in the midterm elections. — Kiara Moore, The Washington Examiner, 10 Aug. 2026

Blanche will face tough decisions over whether to press forward with charging notable enemies of the president, with previous sets of charges often facing criticism from legal experts for being based on flimsy legal arguments. — Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Zuckerberg also published a lengthy manifesto laying out his vision and approach to AI, attempting to assuage wide-ranging concerns about AI as the company combats criticisms about its data center buildout and AI smart glasses. — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 10 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