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

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.

The hush-hush raves that require knowing someone and slinking into condemned warehouses have always happened alongside parties thrown by big-name promoters.

From Slate • Jun. 25, 2026

An appeals court condemned Landor's "egregious" treatment but ruled that he was not eligible to sue individual prison officials for damages.

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

Rand’s Objectivist school regarded capitalism as morally superior to other systems and condemned government regulation as an impingement on the freedom of the individual.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026

Reacting to the email, one customer said they had "now unsubscribed" from Wowcher's emails, while another person condemned the message as "disgusting", adding: "If that's real someone needs to be fired."

From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026

“Even a condemned man gets a last meal. I’d say that fish deserves nothing less.”

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

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