condemnation

noun

con·​dem·​na·​tion ˌkän-ˌdem-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce condemnation (audio)
-dəm-
Synonyms of condemnation
1
: censure, blame
… the Quakers, in their uncompromising condemnation of war …—William Ralph Inge
2
: the act of judicially condemning
3
: the state of being condemned
… in the hopeless hour of condemnation …—Washington Irving
4
: a reason for condemning
His conduct was sufficient condemnation.

Synonyms of condemnation

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of condemnation in a Sentence

The plan has drawn condemnation from both sides. The government's statement was a condemnation of all acts of terrorism.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Chinese anger over Sanrio’s range of soft toys, including Hello Kitty, dressed as spies from the show has simmered for days on social media and came to a head this week when Chinese state media ramped up the condemnation. — Reuters, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026 Some clips appeared to show massive explosions of villages in Lebanon, where Israeli destruction of civilian infrastructure has drawn condemnation from human rights groups as potential war crimes, which Netanyahu's government denies. — Daniel Estrin, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026 The influential Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano issued a blistering condemnation of auto racing after the 1958 death of Italy's Luigi Musso, who was driving for Ferrari. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 The Johnson County pastor and former rural doctor traded condemnations, repeatedly turning policy questions into opportunities to cast doubt on each other’s character and fitness for office. — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for condemnation

Word History

Etymology

see condemn

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of condemnation was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing condemnation

Rhymes for condemnation

See All Rhymes for condemnation

Browse Nearby Words

condemnable
condemnation
condemnatory
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Condemnation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/condemnation. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on condemnation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about condemnation

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All