condemn
Americanverb (used with object)
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to express an unfavorable or adverse judgment on; indicate strong disapproval of; censure.
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to pronounce to be guilty; sentence to punishment.
to condemn a murderer to life imprisonment.
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to give grounds or reason for convicting or censuring.
His acts condemn him.
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to judge or pronounce to be unfit for use or service.
to condemn an old building.
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U.S. Law. to acquire ownership of for a public purpose, under the right of eminent domain.
The city condemned the property.
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to force into a specific state or activity.
His lack of education condemned him to a life of menial jobs.
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to doom to eternal punishment in hell.
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to declare incurable.
verb
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to express strong disapproval of; censure
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to pronounce judicial sentence on
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to demonstrate the guilt of
his secretive behaviour condemned him
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to judge or pronounce unfit for use
that food has been condemned
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to compel or force into a particular state or activity
his disposition condemned him to boredom
Related Words
See blame.
Other Word Forms
- condemnable adjective
- condemnably adverb
- condemnation noun
- condemner noun
- condemningly adverb
- condemnor noun
- recondemn verb (used with object)
- self-condemning adjective
- uncondemnable adjective
- uncondemning adjective
- uncondemningly adverb
Etymology
Origin of condemn
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English condempnen, from Anglo-French, Old French condem(p)ner, from Latin condemnāre; con-, damn
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.
Afghanistan condemned the attacks, saying they targeted multiple civilian homes and a religious school.
From BBC
"There is no place for this in our society and we condemn it unreservedly," the club said in a statement.
From BBC
More than 80 UN member states, along with the EU and the Arab League, have strongly condemned "unilateral Israeli decisions and measures" and called for them to be reversed.
From BBC
Anthony Edwards condemned the Dallas Mavericks to a 10th consecutive loss -- their worst slump since 1998 -- scoring 40 points in an ultimately convincing win Friday for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
From Barron's
"We have these incidents that happen which are terribly sad and they should be condemned with full force when they do happen," Itoje said.
From Barron's
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.
