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

Some Israelis demand cease-fire deal, return of hostages Netanyahu faces mounting pressure and criticism from Israelis frustrated with the lack of a cease-fire deal to secure the release of the around 100 remaining hostages in Gaza as the war has raged for more than a year. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024

This requires you to put your ego aside and stay genuinely open to new ideas, concerns and even criticisms. —Rhoan Morgan, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024

UnitedHealthcare, similar to other big insurers, has faced lawsuits and criticism from regulators, lawmakers and patients alike over allegedly denying claims to maximize their profits. —Annika Kim Constantino,kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2024

Winners don’t always write history, but courtiers did sometimes need to keep their criticisms on the down low. —Matthew Gabriele, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Dec. 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