critic
Americannoun
-
a person who judges, evaluates, or criticizes.
a poor critic of men.
-
a person who judges, evaluates, or analyzes literary or artistic works, dramatic or musical performances, or the like, especially for a newspaper or magazine.
-
a person who tends too readily to make captious, trivial, or harsh judgments; faultfinder.
-
Archaic.
noun
-
a person who judges something
-
a professional judge of art, music, literature, etc
-
a person who often finds fault and criticizes
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of critic
1575–85; < Latin criticus < Greek kritikós skilled in judging (adj.), critic (noun), equivalent to krī́t ( ēs ) judge, umpire ( krī́ ( nein ) to separate, decide + -tēs agent suffix) + -ikos -ic
Explanation
A critic is someone who finds fault with something and expresses an unfavorable opinion. You might be a critic of your school’s new plan to start the school day at 6:30 a.m. The word critic came into English by way of Latin, tracing back to the Greek word krinein, meaning “judge, decide.” If you’re a critic, you’re essentially judging something — and finding it lacking. Critic can be used broadly to describe any person expressing an unfavorable view, but there are professional critics as well, such as people who review movies or music. In that sense, the word describes someone who thoughtfully assesses something, either favorably or negatively.
Vocabulary lists containing critic
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 7
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!
This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for March 6–12, 2021
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!
"Should Dodge Ball Be Banned in Schools?"
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.
Not everyone responded positively: the critic Brian Sewell, for one, saying they were fit only for "the railings of Green Park".
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
Chanos has been a vocal critic of the AI investment boom, arguing it is reminiscent of the 1990s dot-com bubble.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
All the while, she has remained his vocal critic.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
Or is it simply about “trauma and the mysterious workings of the unconscious,” as New York Times critic Beatrice Loayza says?
From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026
Her transformation begins with a single man, the French poet and critic Théophile Gautier.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
