Standard Lemma guide

criticism

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈkɹɪtɪsɪzm̩/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K R IH1 T IH0 S IH2 Z AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of criticising; a critical judgment passed or expressed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • The politician received a lot of public criticism for his controversial stance on the issue.
  • Criticism has been leveled at a number of prominent figures.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: censure, dispraise, panning

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A critical observation or detailed examination and review.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

Examples

  • The politician received several detailed criticisms of his stance on the issue.
  • I was stung by her harsh criticisms.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: critique, animadversion, stricture, criticism, criticization, dressing-down, handbagging, slam

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a serious examination and judgment of something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • constructive criticism is always appreciated

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: critique

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: critical appraisal, critical analysis

Narrower terms: examen, knock, roast, self-criticism

4

noun

Meaning 4

a written evaluation of a work of literature

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: literary criticism

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: writing, written material, piece of writing

Narrower terms: explication de texte, textual criticism, new criticism, analysis, review, critique, critical review, review article

5

noun

Meaning 5

disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the senator received severe criticism from his opponent

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unfavorable judgment

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disapproval

Narrower terms: attack, brickbat, faultfinding, carping, fire, flak, flack, blast, thrust, potshot, rebuke, reproof, reproval, reprehension, reprimand, slating, static, stricture

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English critic Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English criticism From critic + -ism.

Across languages

Translations

114 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: kritikë — act of criticising
  • Arabic: نَقْد (naqd) — act of criticising
  • Arabic: اِنْتِقَاد (intiqād) — act of criticising
  • Armenian: քննադատություն (kʻnnadatutʻyun) — act of criticising
  • Azerbaijani: tənqid — act of criticising
  • Bashkir: тәнҡит (tənqit) — act of criticising
  • Belarusian: кры́тыка (krýtyka) — act of criticising
  • Bulgarian: кри́тика (krítika) — act of criticising
  • Chinese Mandarin: 批評 /批评 (pīpíng) — act of criticising
  • Chinese Mandarin: 批判 (pīpàn) — act of criticising
  • Chinese Mandarin: 評論 /评论 (pínglùn) — act of criticising
  • Chinese Mandarin: 非難 /非难 (fēinàn) — act of criticising
  • Czech: kritika — act of criticising
  • Danish: kritik — act of criticising
  • Danish: dadel — act of criticising
  • Dutch: kritiek — act of criticising
  • Esperanto: kritiko — act of criticising
  • Estonian: arvustamine — act of criticising
  • Estonian: kriitika — act of criticising
  • Finnish: arvostelu — act of criticising
  • Finnish: kritiikki — act of criticising
  • French: critique — act of criticising
  • Galician: crítica — act of criticising
  • Georgian: კრიტიკა (ḳriṭiḳa) — act of criticising
  • German: Kritik — act of criticising
  • German: Tadel — act of criticising
  • Greek: κριτική (kritikí) — act of criticising
  • Greek: επίκριση (epíkrisi) — act of criticising
  • Greek: κατάκριση (katákrisi) — act of criticising
  • Hebrew: ביקורת — act of criticising
  • Hebrew: בִּקֹּרֶת (bikóret) — act of criticising
  • Hindi: आलोचना (ālocnā) — act of criticising
  • Hungarian: kritika — act of criticising
  • Hungarian: bírálat — act of criticising
  • Icelandic: gagnrýni — act of criticising
  • Irish: beachtaíocht — act of criticising
  • Irish: cáineadh — act of criticising
  • Irish: critic — act of criticising
  • Irish: léirmheastóireacht — act of criticising
  • Italian: critica — act of criticising
  • Japanese: 批評 (hihyō) — act of criticising
  • Japanese: 非難 (hinan) — act of criticising
  • Kazakh: сын (syn) — act of criticising
  • Korean: 평 (pyeong) — act of criticising
  • Korean: 비평 (bipyeong) — act of criticising
  • Korean: 비난 (binan) — act of criticising
  • Central Kurdish: ڕەخنەگِری (rexnegirî) — act of criticising
  • Northern Kurdish: tenkîd — act of criticising
  • Northern Kurdish: rexne — act of criticising
  • Kyrgyz: сын (sın) — act of criticising
  • Kyrgyz: критика (kritika) — act of criticising
  • Latvian: kritika — act of criticising
  • Lithuanian: kritika — act of criticising
  • Macedonian: критика (kritika) — act of criticising
  • Malay: kritikan — act of criticising
  • Malayalam: വിമർശനം (vimaṟśanaṁ) — act of criticising
  • Māori: whakahēnga — act of criticising
  • Māori: whakahēanga — act of criticising
  • Mongolian: шүүмжлэл (šüümžlel) — act of criticising
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kritikk — act of criticising
  • Pashto: نقد (naqd) — act of criticising
  • Pashto: تنقيد (tanqid) — act of criticising
  • Pashto: انتقاد (enteqād) — act of criticising
  • Persian: نَقد (naqd) — act of criticising
  • Persian: اِنتِقاد (enteqâd) — act of criticising
  • Persian: تَنقید (tanqid) — act of criticising
  • Plautdietsch: Jenoa — act of criticising
  • Polish: krytyka — act of criticising
  • Portuguese: crítica — act of criticising
  • Portuguese: criticismo — act of criticising
  • Romanian: critică — act of criticising
  • Russian: кри́тика (krítika) — act of criticising
  • Russian: порица́ние (poricánije) — act of criticising
  • Serbo-Croatian: крѝтика — act of criticising
  • Serbo-Croatian: krìtika — act of criticising
  • Slovak: kritika — act of criticising
  • Slovene: kritika — act of criticising
  • Spanish: crítica — act of criticising
  • Spanish: criticismo — act of criticising
  • Spanish: animadversión — act of criticising
  • Swedish: kritik — act of criticising
  • Tagalog: pamumuna — act of criticising
  • Tagalog: panunuri — act of criticising
  • Tajik: танқид (tanqid) — act of criticising
  • Tajik: интиқод (intiqod) — act of criticising
  • Tatar: тәнкыйть (tänqit) — act of criticising
  • Thai: ปริทัศน์ — act of criticising
  • Thai: คําวิจารณ์ — act of criticising
  • Thai: การวิพากษ์ (gaan-wí-pâak) — act of criticising
  • Turkish: eleştiri — act of criticising
  • Turkish: tenkit — act of criticising
  • Turkmen: tankyt — act of criticising
  • Ukrainian: кри́тика (krýtyka) — act of criticising
  • Urdu: تَنْقِید (tanqīd) — act of criticising
  • Uyghur: تەنقىد (tenqid) — act of criticising
  • Uzbek: tanqid — act of criticising
  • Vietnamese: sự phê bình — act of criticising
  • Yiddish: קריטיק (kritik) — act of criticising
  • Esperanto: kritika pensado — critical review or comment
  • Finnish: arvio — critical review or comment
  • Finnish: arvostelu — critical review or comment
  • Finnish: kritiikki — critical review or comment
  • Finnish: tarkastelu — critical review or comment
  • Hungarian: bírálat — critical review or comment
  • Hungarian: kritika — critical review or comment
  • Hungarian: műbírálat — critical review or comment
  • Hungarian: műkritika — critical review or comment
  • Māori: kupu whakahē — critical review or comment
  • Slovak: kritika — critical review or comment
  • Slovak: recenzia — critical review or comment
  • Slovak: posudok — critical review or comment
  • Slovak: hodnotenie — critical review or comment
  • Spanish: crítica — critical review or comment
  • Spanish: animadversión — critical review or comment
Real reading context

criticism in complete knowledge articles