critique
Americannoun
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critiques
plural
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an article or essay criticizing a literary or other work; detailed evaluation; review.
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a criticism or critical comment on some problem, subject, etc.
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the art or practice of criticism.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a critical essay or commentary, esp on artistic work
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the act or art of criticizing
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of critique
First recorded in 1695–1705; from French, from Greek kritikḗ “the art of criticism,” noun use of feminine of kritikós “critical, skilled in judging”; replacing critic
Explanation
As a verb, critique means to review or examine something critically. As a noun, a critique is that review or examination, like an art essay or a book report. The French version of this word is spelled the same (meaning "the art of criticism") and came from the Greek kritike tekhne ("the critical art"). This shouldn't come as a great surprise, since it was the Greeks who gave us such masters of the critique as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Today, through book reports, argument papers, and critical essays, we carry on the tradition of the critique, which is one of the most important skills we'll ever learn in school.
Vocabulary lists containing critique
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 3
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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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.
See Examples For:
The movement, he writes, was full of “bomb throwers but no builders, screeds but no manuals, critique but no solution.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Following Lisandro Martinez's critique of the club's hierarchy last week, club captain Bruno Fernandes appeared to call out Carrick's tactics in Como, suggesting all is not well in the Old Trafford dressing room.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
The French UN mission apologized in September for the critique, a mea culpa that was well-received by Washington and cleared the way for Lechevallier's appointment.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
And they recognize the fundamental truth in the critique.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026
He would be waiting outside in his squadron car preparing an exhaustive critique of Ben’s performance.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Horvath said she and her colleagues have responded to the critiques from Raman and other city leaders by working to improve the system.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
I’m long on compliments, but also never skimp on critiques.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
Blow, who has not responded to these critiques publicly, tells me he instead decided to "sit down and focus on the games".
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
University police departments are police departments, despite critiques of this model.
From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2026
Meggers reacted to Roosevelt’s critiques by sneering at her “polemical tone” and “extravagant claims.”
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Some have critiqued the low rate of serious findings from full-body scans, and Neko’s own research found that only about 1% of asymptomatic users in Sweden found anything life-threatening.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
Last year, Dolly critiqued AI content when clearing rumors surrounding her health, which swirled online after sister Freida Parton asked the public for prayers in a Facebook post on Oct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
They were materials that he read, and he critiqued.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Legg's paper critiqued research published by Microsoft in 2025.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
The idea is that a student turns in a story, which is then read and thoughtfully critiqued by everyone in the class.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
Back then, it was about critiquing Black art for Black art’s sake and its possibilities, when today critical discussions seem to urgently hinge on Black art for the sake of its preservation.
From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2026
The artist has opened his own Chanel pop-up store where plywood dresses simultaneously honor the brand while critiquing consumer culture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Some elements of the US press also criticised what they perceived as an endless desire for publicity – either in her messaging promoting peace or critiquing the art establishment.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
“They did not engage in journalism when it came to critiquing me,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
And, of course, she kept her head down throughout it all, doing enough to keep Brullo from critiquing her, but not enough to make him praise her the way he did Cain.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
