condemn
Americanverb (used with object)
-
condemns,
present (3rd person singular)
-
condemned,
past participle, past
-
condemning
present participle
-
to express an unfavorable or adverse judgment on; indicate strong disapproval of; censure.
-
to pronounce to be guilty; sentence to punishment.
to condemn a murderer to life imprisonment.
-
to give grounds or reason for convicting or censuring.
His acts condemn him.
-
to judge or pronounce to be unfit for use or service.
to condemn an old building.
-
U.S. Law. to acquire ownership of for a public purpose, under the right of eminent domain.
The city condemned the property.
-
to force into a specific state or activity.
His lack of education condemned him to a life of menial jobs.
-
to doom to eternal punishment in hell.
-
to declare incurable.
verb
-
to express strong disapproval of; censure
-
to pronounce judicial sentence on
-
to demonstrate the guilt of
his secretive behaviour condemned him
-
to judge or pronounce unfit for use
that food has been condemned
-
to compel or force into a particular state or activity
his disposition condemned him to boredom
Synonym Usage
See blame.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
condemnationnoun
-
condemnernoun
-
condemnornoun
-
recondemnverb (used with object)
-
condemnableadjective
-
self-condemningadjective
-
uncondemnableadjective
-
uncondemningadjective
-
condemnablyadverb
-
condemninglyadverb
-
uncondemninglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
condemnsimple
-
condemnssimple
-
have condemnedperfect
-
has condemnedperfect
-
am condemningprogressive
-
are condemningprogressive
-
is condemningprogressive
-
have been condemningperfect progressive
-
has been condemningperfect progressive
Past
-
condemnedsimple
-
had condemnedperfect
-
was condemningprogressive
-
were condemningprogressive
-
had been condemningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of condemn
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English condempnen, from Anglo-French, Old French condem(p)ner, from Latin condemnāre; see con-, damn
Explanation
You can condemn, or openly criticize, someone who is behaving inappropriately. If you are an animal rights activist, you would probably condemn someone for wearing fur. Condemn originally comes, through Old French, from the Latin word condemnāre, "to sentence, condemn." You may see politicians condemn each other in political ads during a campaign in hopes of improving their chances of winning an election. You also might hear of a convict being "condemned to death." In this sense of the word, to condemn still carries on its Latin meaning of "to sentence."
Vocabulary lists containing condemn
List 3
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Silent Treatment: Words Plagued by Silent Letters
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act V
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
But what may have most motivated her to condemn Wiener was that it was an opportunity to condemn Wiener.
From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026
We should be hesitant to place halos around the heads of people we admire, just as we shouldn’t totally condemn those with whom we disagree.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
A Plaid Cymru spokesperson told BBC Wales: "The Reform UK Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd page must reflect on their disgusting comment - and as the local Reform MS, James Evans should condemn such an abhorrent statement."
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Asked by CNN whether he would condemn the group and what they stand for, and whether he would urge President Donald Trump to do the same, Burgum couched his language carefully.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
This place of refuge has suddenly become a prison where I await the trial that might condemn not only me, but Mother Ermentrude and all the sisters.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Hamawy has said he condemns Abdel-Rahman’s violent rhetoric and actions and that he had no contact with the cleric after his arrest.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
Weeks before the elections, Meloni released videos in multiple languages saying the Italian right “unambiguously” condemns the fascist regime’s suppression of democracy and antisemitic policies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
The French Open added: "The tournament strongly condemns all sexist remarks, regardless of who makes them, and offers its support to the match umpire and, more broadly, to all the tournament's umpiring officials."
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
Grant has been a well-established critic of the Fed’s propensity to tolerate inflation for some time and in particular he condemns the purchasing power that has been lost since 2020, because of the Fed’s policies.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 14, 2026
During the debates, Congress removes a passage in Thomas Jefferson’s draft that condemns the slave trade.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
Smith and Hume did not agree on every economic proposition, but they independently condemned the canker of the public debt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
A second building with three classrooms was declared "condemned" and demolished about five years ago with assurance that a better one would be rebuilt.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
He condemned the other parties for not fielding candidates, saying it was "disrespectful to Clacton".
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
When the district attorney later dropped the investigation, citing lack of evidence, Hahn publicly condemned Bycel.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
I have discovered, deep in the hearts of many condemned and incarcerated people, the scattered traces of hope and humanity—seeds of restoration that come to astonishing life when nurtured by very simple interventions.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Some of his GOP colleagues in the Senate are joining him in condemning his former son-in-law.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
We hear an excerpt from a review by William Logan, poetry’s dean of critical defenestration, condemning her work for its pretty plainness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
In the statement condemning the attack against Isak, Ghana said "taking of any life is unacceptable, and those responsible must be brought to justice without delay".
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
The family has now hired lawyers, who released a statement Friday condemning the police response shown in the video as “completely unnecessary and profoundly dangerous.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026
Like a judge’s gavel pounding again and again, condemning her.
From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
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.
