criticism

American  

[krit-uh-siz-uhm] / ˈkrɪt əˌsɪz əm /

noun

criticisms plural

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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Synonym Usage

See review.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• countercriticism
  noun
• overcriticism
  noun
• precriticism
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• criticisms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of criticism

First recorded in 1600–10; critic + -ism

Explanation

If you dye your hair bright blue, you're likely to get some criticism from people who just don't understand your personal style. When you're on the receiving end of criticism, you are being judged in a disapproving way. The noun criticism is most often used to describe negative commentary about something or someone, but it's just as correct to use criticism to mean "an examination or judgment." Critics who review books and movies consider their reviews to be criticism, whether they're positive or negative. So the criticism you receive doesn't have to be all about your faults; it can actually be a pleasant experience.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

criticism criticisms

While Apple received initial criticism for its perceived lack of an AI strategy, it’s paying off in the current market.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

Although Burnham's legacy as Greater Manchester mayor is not without criticism there are several aspects of his inheritance that seem untouchable.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Milei, who provided no concrete evidence of such a campaign or its alleged funding, appeared to be referring in part to criticism directed at Argentina's national team during the World Cup.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

Then, as the technology advanced, their calls drew criticism that what they were really trying to do was write the rules for their own benefit—regulatory capture—at the expense of smaller rivals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

This will require the maturity to self-assess and thoughtfully apply criticism towards self-enhancement and development as a professional in your field.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

He did not respond to criticisms about the award or his organization.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026

Paul Powers, chief executive of Physna, a company whose technology could be used to block gun parts on 3-D printers, said the strongest criticisms of AB 2047 “misunderstand how the software works.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026

Rutte has also pushed back against Trump’s criticisms in private meetings, according to people familiar with their talks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

Kawata has brushed off the criticisms, proudly declaring she enjoys her job and believes now is the time for her to have a child and start a family.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

Please elaborate here on any additional compliments or criticisms you may have of this teacher.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

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