criticism

American  

[krit-uh-siz-uhm] / ˈkrɪt əˌsɪz əm /

noun

1. the act of passing judgment as to the merits of anything.

2. the act of passing severe judgment; censure; faultfinding.

   Synonyms:

   animadversion, stricture

3. the act or art of analyzing and evaluating or judging the quality of a literary or artistic work, musical performance, art exhibit, dramatic production, etc.

4. a critical comment, article, or essay; critique.

5. any of various methods of studying texts or documents for the purpose of dating or reconstructing them, evaluating their authenticity, analyzing their content or style, etc..

   historical criticism; literary criticism.

6. investigation of the text, origin, etc., of literary documents, especially Biblical ones.

   textual criticism.

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criticism British  

/ ˈkrɪtɪˌsɪzəm /

noun

1. the act or an instance of making an unfavourable or severe judgment, comment, etc

2. the analysis or evaluation of a work of art, literature, etc

3. the occupation of a critic

4. a work that sets out to evaluate or analyse

5. Also called: textual criticism.  the investigation of a particular text, with related material, in order to establish an authentic text

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Related Words

See review.

Other Word Forms

• countercriticism noun
• overcriticism noun
• precriticism noun

Etymology

Origin of criticism

First recorded in 1600–10; critic + -ism

Example Sentences

He declined to comment on Justice Department subpoenas, criticism from the White House, the value of the dollar, or whether he plans to remain on the Fed’s board after his term as chair ends.

From Barron's

India has long been a top destination for investors, looking to gain from its fast-growing consumer base, but it has also faced criticism for policy shifts and drawn-out tax battles.

From BBC

There was also criticism: some listeners and critics have argued that many of his songs started to sound alike, with his trademark husky, introspective delivery creating a sense of sameness across different films and genres.

From BBC

"At its core, the criticism of AI slop is the criticism of some individual's creative expression," argued Bob Doyle, a YouTube personality specializing in AI-driven media creation.

From Barron's

Slot had hit back at criticism of Liverpool's five-match winless run in the Premier League after last weekend's 3-2 loss at Bournemouth, insisting it would still be a successful season if they win silverware.

From Barron's

Related Words

• assessment
• comment
• critique
• judgment
• opinion
• review