condemned

American

[kuhn-demd] / kənˈdɛmd /

adjective

pronounced guilty; sentenced to punishment, especially capital punishment.

A condemned man has the right to know how the execution will proceed.
deemed or declared unfit for use or service.

One of the condemned buildings is going to be demolished to make room for luxury apartments.
viewed or spoken of with strong disapproval; judged as wrong or unacceptable, often formally.

Apartheid, by universal agreement, is an inhumane, unjust, and condemned practice.
doomed to eternal punishment in hell; damned.

At the Last Judgment, condemned sinners will offer excuses in vain.

noun

Usually the condemned
1. the person or persons pronounced guilty in a court of law and sentenced to punishment, especially capital punishment.
  
  We join in prayer for the condemned, his victim, and their families.
2. the damned.
  
  The condemned are those who are full of themselves and laugh at their unrighteousness.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of condemn.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of condemned

condemn ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

Neighbors and allies, including the U.S., condemned the attacks but there has so far been no military response by the U.S. or Kuwait.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

Meng has responded to criticism of this vote, noting that thanking ICE was not the only provision in the resolution, which condemned the attack on Jewish community members in Boulder, Colorado, on June 1, 2025.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026

Beijing also previously condemned a group of New Zealand lawmakers for attending a reception hosted by Taiwan's de facto embassy in Wellington last October.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

A coroner has condemned "selfish" drivers after illegally parked cars delayed emergency vehicles from reaching a beach where a 15-year-old girl had drowned.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

We were still very actively litigating on behalf of condemned children in Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana—Southern states where we had litigated previously.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023