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

But the transportation secretary on Sunday also repeatedly echoed Trump and his top allies' criticism of DEI efforts in the immediate aftermath of the DC-area collision. —Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 2 Feb. 2025

The reality smash hit has come in for a lot of criticism of late, with season seven particularly causing a great deal of passionate debate online. —Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Feb. 2025

At the in person forum in Detroit in January, the more substantive discussions included vice-chair candidates and there was more criticism of Biden for running for reelection before dropping out of the race with less than three months until the election. —Stephen Fowler, NPR, 1 Feb. 2025

While Pacheco and many in the Venezuelan community have appreciated the U.S. government’s criticism of Nicolás Maduro, she is disillusioned with Trump’s announcement that the Maduro regime has agreed to take back undocumented Venezuelan immigrants. —Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2025

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