condemnation
Americannoun
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the act of condemning.
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the state of being condemned.
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strong censure; disapprobation; reproof.
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a cause or reason for condemning.
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U.S. Law. the seizure, as of property, for public use.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of condemnation
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English condempnacioun, from Middle French, from Late Latin condemnātiōn-, stem of condemnātiō; equivalent to condemn + -ation
Explanation
Condemnation is the act of declaring something awful or evil. If your little brother does something unspeakably awful, express your condemnation so he will learn not to do it again. Condemnation comes from the verb condemn, "to strongly disapprove." You might criticize something that you still think is worthwhile, but if you express condemnation, that’s laying a heavy moral blame. Condemnation is used in law, and means the same thing as sentencing; you might have heard a judge say “I condemn you to ten years of hard labor.” Also, a very dangerous building will be sealed up and deemed uninhabitable by an act of condemnation.
Vocabulary lists containing condemnation
Fahrenheit 451
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The Crucible
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"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Condemnation of the attack, whose victims included five journalists and four health workers, has been mounting, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer describing it as "completely indefensible".
From BBC • Aug. 26, 2025
Condemnation of the Tipaldo decision came from across the entire political spectrum.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 30, 2024
Condemnation came swiftly from at home and abroad, and the scandal clung to Mr. Peña Nieto for the rest of his presidency.
From New York Times • Apr. 18, 2023
Condemnation of the police actions in the Nichols case also poured in from law enforcement officials, including Cerelyn Davis, the Memphis police chief, who said her former officers lacked “basic humanity.”
From Washington Post • Jan. 28, 2023
Condemnation shone forth from thirty pairs of eyes, the hot, unreasoning condemnation of the young.
From Judy of York Hill by Bennett, Ethel Hume
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
