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
Cite this Entry
“Criticism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criticism. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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