criticism

noun

crit·​i·​cism ˈkri-tə-ˌsi-zəm How to pronounce criticism (audio)
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
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

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 deal, which drew criticism from rights groups over Egypt’s human rights record, is scheduled to be signed during a visit Sunday by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and leaders of Belgium, Italy, Austria, Cyprus and Greece, according to Egyptian officials. Samy Magdy, Fortune Europe, 17 Mar. 2024 Transportation in New York City Subway Crime: Shortly after Gov. Kathy Hochul deployed the National Guard in the New York City subway to quell fears of crime, a plan that drew intense criticism, her office said that soldiers searching bags would not carry long guns. Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Former employees recall that in a meeting and subsequent memo, Huffman described his detractors’ behavior as entitled and ungrateful, and told them to come to him privately with criticism. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024 But for Middleton, who despite the media criticism had been unofficially crowned a perfect corporeal specimen, the scrutiny came from millions of eyes. Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2024 Its initial expansion in San Francisco last August was met with biting criticism from labor unions, residents, and some government officials. William Gavin, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 But the announcement was met with swift criticism from LGBTQ civil rights advocates, who view it as part of an ongoing push from conservative lawmakers to restrict or limit the rights of transgender and non-binary Americans. Shirin Faqiri, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Despite the criticism, Mhlongo has carved out a life that many only dream about. Jazmine Denise Thompson, Essence, 13 Mar. 2024 Third dog death reported in Alaska's 1,000-mile Iditarod race A dog died during the Iditarod sled dog race in Alaska on Tuesday, becoming the third canine death of the event and drawing criticism from animal advocates. USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'criticism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

critic entry 1 + -ism

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of criticism was in 1606

Dictionary Entries Near criticism

Cite this Entry

“Criticism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criticism. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

criticism

noun
crit·​i·​cism ˈkrit-ə-ˌsiz-əm How to pronounce criticism (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on criticism

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