critique

1 of 2

noun

Synonyms of critique
: an act of criticizing
especially : a critical (see critical sense 1d) estimate or discussion
a critique of the poet's work
an honest critique of her art

critique

2 of 2

verb

critiqued; critiquing

transitive verb

: to examine critically : review
critique the plan

Did you know?

What’s the difference between criticism and critique? There’s some overlap in meaning, but they’re not the same in every situation. Criticism is most often used broadly to refer to the act of negatively criticizing someone or something (“I’m more interested in encouragement right now than criticism”) or a remark or comment that expresses disapproval (“She shared a minor criticism about the design”), while critique is a more formal word for a carefully expressed judgment, opinion, or evaluation of both the good and bad qualities of something—for example, books or movies. Thus, a critic can write a critique that may be full of criticism.

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
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Noun
Walzer responded thoughtfully to each of the critiques, but without backing down. — Jordi Graupera, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026 Irwin knows how to clown an audience, and in this enjoyable, broadly comic interpretation, the buffoonery is at least as much the point as some pointed critiques of modern-day American health care. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
Under Coley, the county recently hired a consultant, Newmark, to critique the latest version of a potential Coastal Link deal. — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026 By Lisa Benson What readers are saying The conversation explores a range of perspectives on the opinion piece, with many participants critiquing the cartoon's portrayal of European unrest and welfare states. — Lisa Benson, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for critique

Word History

Etymology

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

derivative of critique entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1679, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1752, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of critique was in 1679

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Cite this Entry

“Critique.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critique. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

critique

1 of 2 noun
: an act or instance of criticizing
especially : a critical estimate or discussion

critique

2 of 2 verb
critiqued; critiquing
: to examine critically : review
critiqued the plan
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