condemn

[ kuhn-dem ]

/ kənˈdɛm /

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verb (used with object)

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.

Nearby words

concuss, concussion, concussion grenade, concyclic, cond., condemn, condemnation, condemnatory, condemned cell, condensable, condensate

Origin of condemn

1350–1400; Middle English condempnen < Anglo-French, Old French condem(p)ner < Latin condemnāre. See con-, damn

SYNONYMS FOR condemn

1 See blame.

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ANTONYMS FOR condemn

2 exonerate, liberate.

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Related forms

con·dem·na·ble

[kuhn-dem-nuh-buhl] /kənˈdɛm nə bəl/, adjectivecon·dem·na·bly, adverbcon·demn·er

[kuhn-dem-er] /kənˈdɛm ər/, con·dem·nor

[kuhn-dem-er, kuhn-dem-nawr] /kənˈdɛm ər, kən dɛmˈnɔr/, nouncon·demn·ing·ly, adverb

re·con·demn, verb (used with object)self-con·demned, adjectiveself-con·demn·ing, adjectiveun·con·dem·na·ble, adjectiveun·con·demned, adjectiveun·con·demn·ing, adjectiveun·con·demn·ing·ly, adverb

Can be confused

blame censure condemn (see synonym study at blame)condemn contemn

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for condemned

The scheme has been condemned by civil liberties groups and queried by the National Association of Head Teachers.
Britain May Spy on Preschoolers Searching for Potential Jihadis|Nico Hines|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
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 Hands|Jacob Siegel|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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 Behind|Brin-Jonathan Butler|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This approach should not be condemned; it should be expanded upon.
We Need More Ferguson-style Grand Juries|Kaimipono Wenger|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

House Speaker John Boehner condemned the remark, but the damage was done.
The Republican Rainbow Coalition Is Real|Tim Mak|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He has been tried as a spy, condemned as a spy, and shall be executed as a spy, and the flag is ordered to depart immediately.
Elsie and Her Loved Ones|Martha Finley
Before long the condemned men were released, some without conditions and others were banished from the Colony.
Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony|George Francis Dow
The second interview she had solicited in order to plead the cause of one of her personal friends, condemned to transportation.
Famous Women: George Sand|Bertha Thomas
Even fair-minded Austrians condemned the system as unscientific.
Bohemia under Hapsburg Misrule|Various
Fool, to that body to return Where it condemned and destined is to burn!
Lives of the English Poets: Waller, Milton, Cowley|Samuel Johnson

British Dictionary definitions for condemned

condemn

/ (kənˈdɛm) /

verb (tr)

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

Derived Forms

condemnable (kənˈdɛməbəl), adjectivecondemnably, adverbcondemnation, nouncondemner, noun

condemningly, adverb

Word Origin for condemn

C13: from Old French condempner, from Latin condemnāre, from damnāre to condemn; see damn

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012