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What’s the difference between criticism and critique? There’s some overlap in meaning, but they’re not the same in every situation. Criticism is most often used broadly to refer to the act of negatively criticizing someone or something (“I’m more interested in encouragement right now than criticism”) or a remark or comment that expresses disapproval (“She shared a minor criticism about the design”), while critique is a more formal word for a carefully expressed judgment, opinion, or evaluation of both the good and bad qualities of something—for example, books or movies. Thus, a critic can write a critique that may be full of criticism.
Examples of critique in a Sentence
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 3 June 2026
Since his election last year, Leo has made a point to directly converse with — and sometimes critique — various aspects of society, ranging from politics to entertainment and sports.
—Krysta Fauria, Fortune, 2 June 2026
Controversial for its mix of biography and psychoanalysis, it was critiqued as harsh at the time but remains an important record.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 1 June 2026
In December, DeSantis released a proposal to create an AI Bill of Rights for Florida residents, highlighting individuals’ right to privacy while also critiquing the construction of data centers that power AI systems.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for critique
Cite this Entry
“Critique.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critique. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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