Definition of CRITIQUE

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Noun

Critique is an alteration of an archaic word that referred generally to criticism. Critique itself dates to the early 18th century and originally referred to a piece of writing that criticized a literary or artistic work. The words criticism, critique, and review overlap in meaning. Criticism usually means "the act of criticizing" or a "remark or comment that expresses disapproval," but it can also refer to the activity of making judgments about the qualities of books, movies, etc. (as in "literary criticism").Critique is a somewhat formal word that typically refers to a careful judgment in which someone gives an opinion about something. Review can refer to an essay analyzing a literary or artistic work, but can also sometimes imply a more casual or personal opinion.

Examples of critique in a Sentence

Noun

She wrote a radical critique of the philosopher's early essays. They gave a fair and honest critique of her art.

Verb

The class convened to critique the student's latest painting.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

These critiques often push for collective introspection rather than the removal of any given work, though some fans do call on the archive to draw lines around what’s offensive and what’s not. — Elizabeth Minkel, The Verge, "The online free speech debate is raging in fan fiction, too," 8 Nov. 2018 Above, watch honest comments, critiques, and compliments straight from the source. — Rachel Nussbaum, Glamour, "Watch Lili Reinhart Critique 'Riverdale' Makeup Tutorials," 25 June 2018 Nina Simone’s distinctive voice and social critique in the mid-20th century was unlike anything America had ever heard before. — Gail Mitchell, Billboard, "Nina Simone's Childhood Home Dedicated as a National Treasure," 19 June 2018 In light of these critiques, tech companies have sought to highlight their hiring, spending and other positive economic impacts. — Wendy Lee, San Francisco Chronicle, "Apple pulls an Amazon, plans a new campus outside Bay Area," 17 Jan. 2018 Topics among such users can be wide-ranging, from events like the tragedy in Pittsburgh and the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to critiques of the media and internal debates among members of the far-right online communities. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "Four ways the internet changed the midterm elections," 7 Nov. 2018 Also in 2013, a team of academic researchers published a scathing critique of Supermicro security (PDF). — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "If Supermicro boards were so bug-ridden, why would hackers ever need implants?," 11 Oct. 2018 His campaign was filled with gaffes, from critiques of Sen. John McCain to fighting with a Gold Star family. — Jessica Estepa, USA TODAY, "Before Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, here are 5 of the biggest U.S. political upsets," 27 June 2018 Instead, with reporters in the room and cameras rolling, Trump opened the meeting with an unprompted four-minute critique of Mueller’s investigation. — Time, "‘A Disgrace.’ Trump Reacts to FBI’s Raid on His Personal Lawyer Michael Cohen’s Office," 9 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The 'Psych' and 'West Wing' alum critiques the bail bond industry in a PSA for the nonprofit NextGen America. — Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter, "Dulé Hill on Bail Reform: "There Has to Be a More Equitable Process" (Exclusive Video)," 18 June 2018 The jokes aimed at Sanders critiqued her job performance, her appearance and even her Southern roots. — Elizabeth Zwirz, Fox News, "Netflix scraps Michelle Wolf series: reports," 17 Aug. 2018 What may be instantly recognizable to modern audiences is the depiction of the burden that falls on a woman in charge, whose success is suspect and whose actions are constantly critiqued. — T.l. Stanley, latimes.com, "'Game of Thrones' star Natalie Dormer heads Amazon's twisty mystery 'Picnic At Hanging Rock'," 24 May 2018 The skater, who made headlines ahead of his arrival in Pyeongchang, South Korea, for critiquing Vice President Mike Pence, finished third in his event, but first in the hearts of Olympic viewers everywhere. — Cady Lang, Time, "The Internet Is Enchanted With Adam Rippon's Olympic Debut," 12 Feb. 2018 Others are quick to critique that Obama did something similar (referencing a 2013 incident when border guards used pepper spray against migrants who threw rocks at them). — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "If You're Defending Tear Gassing Children, You're a Horrible Person," 28 Nov. 2018 Not even minutes after the photo went up, commenters flocked to the image to critique and rate how the babies—babies!—looked. — Yaminah Mayo, Glamour, "Khloé Kardashian Shouldn't Have to 'Block Out' Racist Remarks About True," 20 Sep. 2018 For as long as monarchies have existed they’ve been enshrined and critiqued in works of art. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, "Thoroughly Modern Meghan," 21 May 2018 Plenty of experts eagerly critique mothers and fathers who choose to help children under 13 set up Facebook accounts. — Susan Dominus, Redbook, "Underage on Facebook," 4 Jan. 2012

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'critique.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for critique

Noun

borrowed from French, borrowed from Latin critica "evaluation of literary works," borrowed from Greek kritikḗ noun derivative from feminine of kritikós "discerning, capable of judging" — more at critic entry 1

Verb