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
That criticism has sometimes veered toward threats against company executives and political figures.
—
William Gavin, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
It's repeatedly faced harsh criticism over its failure to curb child abuse on the platform.
—Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
Danni could’ve taken his comment about coming on strong as constructive criticism but has completely forgotten it.
—Emma Soren, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
In an interview with The Hill on Sunday, Fox’s election night anchors — Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum — brushed off potential criticism from Trump of their coverage.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for criticism 
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William Gavin, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
It's repeatedly faced harsh criticism over its failure to curb child abuse on the platform.
—Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
Danni could’ve taken his comment about coming on strong as constructive criticism but has completely forgotten it.
—Emma Soren, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
In an interview with The Hill on Sunday, Fox’s election night anchors — Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum — brushed off potential criticism from Trump of their coverage.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 5 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 30 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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