form criticism

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noun

a method of textual analysis, applied especially to the Bible, in which the origin and history of certain passages are traced by isolating their literary forms, as miracle story, saying, or apothegm, on the assumption that they were fixed by oral tradition prior to compilation in written form.

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Origin of form criticism

First recorded in 1925–30

OTHER WORDS FROM form criticism

form-crit·i·cal

[fawrm-krit-i-kuhl], /ˈfɔrmˌkrɪt ɪ kəl/, adjective

Words nearby form criticism

formative assessment, formative element, formboard, Formby, form class, form criticism, form drag, forme, formée, former, formerly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use form criticism in a sentence

The same Pediatrics journal notes that 17 states have some form of exception to the standard parental consent requirement.
Should Teens Have The Right To Die?|Brandy Zadrozny|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I mean, physically, mentally, you know, in every way, shape, and form.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And with regular clients that see him at least twice a month, relationships inevitably form.
Career-Minded Women Turn to Male Escorts For No-Strings Fun and (Maybe) Sex|Aurora Snow|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I ask Atefeh and Monir if they see dancing as a form of income in the future, a potential career.
Iran’s Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread|IranWire|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST

But probably because we co-edited the Deadline Artists anthologies with our friend Jesse Angelo, we feel a fidelity to the form.
The Best Columns of 2014|John Avlon, Errol Louis|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Practise gliding in the form of inflection, or slide, from one extreme of pitch to another.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
The supernaturalist alleges that religion was revealed to man by God, and that the form of this revelation is a sacred book.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
Arches more graceful in form, or better fitted to defy the assaults of time, I have never seen.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
As company after company appeared, we were able to form a pretty exact estimate of their numbers.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
And remember it is by our hypothesis the best possible form and arrangement of that lesson.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

British Dictionary definitions for form criticism

form criticism

noun

literary criticism concerned esp with analysing the Bible in terms of the literary forms used, such as proverbs, songs, or stories, and relating them to their historical forms and background

Derived forms of form criticism

form critic, nounform critical, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012