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 Northwest Indiana congressman, the frontrunner in Indiana’s open U.S. Senate race, declined invitations from the Debate Commission, which has drawn criticism from his opponents. —Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Nov. 2024

As the conflict in Gaza has dragged on, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced criticism internationally and domestically for what critics say is his prioritization of keeping together his fractious hard-right and religious coalition government — and his job — over a ceasefire deal. —David Hodari, NBC News, 28 Nov. 2024

Critics Argue the Legislation Could Be Counterproductive Despite bipartisan support for the bill, the legislation has faced significant criticism, particularly from independent lawmakers. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024

Many of Reddit’s other personal style forums serve up a healthy mix of positive validation and constructive criticism. —Oscar Holland, CNN, 27 Nov. 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