critique

1 of 2

noun

cri·​tique krə-ˈtēk 

kri-

: an act of criticizing

especially : a critical (see critical sense 1d) estimate or discussion

a critique of the poet's work

an honest critique of her art

critique

2 of 2

verb

critiqued; critiquing

transitive verb

: to examine critically : review

critique the plan

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms of critique

Noun

• criticism
• review

Examples of critique in a Sentence

Noun

She wrote a radical critique of the philosopher's early essays.

They gave a fair and honest critique of her art.

Verb

The class convened to critique the student's latest painting.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Echoing his critiques, fashion designer Amanda Jane Valentine called the report unsurprising and of no weight. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 27 Mar. 2026

The critiques of Nix revolve around low air yards and inconsistency. —Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026

Verb

Beyond confronting the legacy of the Pinochet years, The Clinic critiqued subsequent administrations of various political stripes and also ran interviews with everyday people, investigations into issues like the adulteration of street drugs, as well as cartoons and joke columns. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 27 Mar. 2026

Bell says teachers are not critiquing students work after school, or hosting clubs that are run by educators, which means students are going without. —Julia Avant, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from French, borrowed from Latin critica "evaluation of literary works," borrowed from Greek kritikḗ noun derivative from feminine of kritikós "discerning, capable of judging" — more at critic entry 1

Verb

derivative of critique entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1679, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1752, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing critique

• self-critique

Rhymes for critique

• antique
• batik
• bespeak
• boutique
• cacique
• comique
• grosbeak
• midweek
• mystique
• oblique
• physique
• pratique

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Kids Definition

critique

1 of 2 noun

cri·​tique krə-ˈtēk 

: an act or instance of criticizing

especially : a critical estimate or discussion

critique

2 of 2 verb

critiqued; critiquing

: to examine critically : review

critiqued the plan