condemn
- 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 declare incurable.
Origin of condemn
Synonyms for condemn
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comAntonyms for condemn
Examples from the Web for condemned
Contemporary Examples of condemned
The scheme has been condemned by civil liberties groups and queried by the National Association of Head Teachers.
The group might have condemned violence while still maintaining an adversarial relationship with the police force.
De Blasio and the New York City Protesters Have No Blood on Their HandsJacob Siegel
December 22, 2014
I asked if it was hard carrying a name like his in a land that had condemned his father as the worst kind of traitor.
The Life and Hard Times Of The Family A Cuban Defector Left BehindBrin-Jonathan Butler
December 19, 2014
This approach should not be condemned; it should be expanded upon.
House Speaker John Boehner condemned the remark, but the damage was done.
Historical Examples of condemned
Besides, he condemned the continuance of the war duties in times of peace.
The Grand Old ManRichard B. Cook
The policy of excluding the coasting trade from the measure he also condemned.
The Grand Old ManRichard B. Cook
But he felt troubled; he was condemned, and it was the world's voice which had condemned him.
Tiverton TalesAlice Brown
So fair, so innocent a victim shall not be condemned to that living tomb.
Calderon The CourtierEdward Bulwer-Lytton
Adams then said, "He hoped he should not be condemned unheard."
Joseph Andrews Vol. 1Henry Fielding
condemn
- to express strong disapproval of; censure
- to pronounce judicial sentence on
- to demonstrate the guilt ofhis secretive behaviour condemned him
- to judge or pronounce unfit for usethat food has been condemned
- to compel or force into a particular state or activityhis disposition condemned him to boredom
Word Origin for condemn
Word Origin and History for condemned
1540s, "found guilty, at fault," past participle adjective from condemn. Of property, "found unfit for use," from 1798.
condemn
early 14c., condempner "to blame, censure," from Old French condamner "to condemn" (11c.), from Latin condemnare "to sentence, doom, blame, disapprove," from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + damnare "to harm, damage" (see damn). Replaced Old English fordeman. Related: Condemned; condemning.