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
• examen
• notice
• 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 streamlined, not quite-Fortnite-ish art style got a lot of criticism when it was first shown off, but in recent content it’s looked better, and has now shown off one aspect of the new look that’s exceptional, its hair tech. —Paul Tassi, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2024

Tom Brady made his Fox broadcast debut as an NFL analyst and received a lot of criticism on his first day on the job. —Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2024

State of play: Trump's call for mass deportations on Friday drew criticism from immigrant rights groups in Colorado. —Alayna Alvarez, Axios, 13 Sep. 2024

Both deals have drawn criticism because of the involvement of foreign governments and the perception that helping Kushner’s business could be a way to gain favor in a second Trump administration. —Justin Elliott, ProPublica, 12 Sep. 2024

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

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