criticism
noun
crit·i·cism
ˈkri-tə-ˌsi-zəm 
1
a
: the act of criticizing usually unfavorably
seeking encouragement rather than criticism
b
: a critical observation or remark
an unfair criticism
had a minor criticism of the design
c
: critique
2
: the art of evaluating or analyzing works of art or literature
also
: writings expressing such evaluation or analysis
an anthology of literary criticism
3
: the scientific investigation of literary documents (such as the Bible) in regard to such matters as origin, text, composition, or history
Examples of criticism in a Sentence
There was much public criticism directed at the senator.
In this job you need to be able to take criticism.
I asked my sister for some constructive criticism of my essay before I tried to revise it.
I had one minor criticism about her design.
Recent Examples on the Web
This resulted in criticism even from members of his own party.
—
Daniel Markind, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum are brushing off blistering criticism of the network that has come from former President Trump in the hours before Election night 2024.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024
Kyle Petty, who brings decades of experience in NASCAR, justified the ruling despite criticism from some.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Riley has held tightly to his instincts in the face of criticism throughout USC’s nightmare season, defiant to suggestions the Trojans weren’t heading in the right direction, even as one close loss turned to another, and another, and another.
—Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for criticism 
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Daniel Markind, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum are brushing off blistering criticism of the network that has come from former President Trump in the hours before Election night 2024.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024
Kyle Petty, who brings decades of experience in NASCAR, justified the ruling despite criticism from some.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Riley has held tightly to his instincts in the face of criticism throughout USC’s nightmare season, defiant to suggestions the Trojans weren’t heading in the right direction, even as one close loss turned to another, and another, and another.
—Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for criticism
Articles Related to criticism
Dictionary Entries Near criticism
Cite this Entry
“Criticism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criticism. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
criticism
noun
crit·i·cism
ˈkrit-ə-ˌsiz-əm
1
: the act of criticizing and especially of finding fault
2
: a critical remark or comment
3
: a careful judgment or review especially by a critic
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