critic

• critick (archaic)

Borrowed from Middle French critique, from Latin criticus, from Ancient Greek κριτικός (kritikós, “of or for judging, able to discern”), from κρίνω (krínō, “I judge”).

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈkɹɪt.ɪk/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪtɪk

critic (plural critics)

1. A person who appraises the works of others.

   Following its publication, the novel received widespread acclaim from literary critics.

   • 1856 February, [Thomas Babington] Macaulay, “Oliver Goldsmith”, in T[homas] F[lower] E[llis], editor, The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, new edition, London: Longman, Green, Reader, & Dyer, published 1871, →OCLC:

     The opinion of the most skilful critics was, that nothing finer [than Goldsmith's Traveller] had appeared in verse since the fourth book of the Dunciad.

2. A specialist in judging works of art.
3. One who criticizes; a person who finds fault.
   • 1741, I[saac] Watts, The Improvement of the Mind: Or, A Supplement to the Art of Logick: […], London: […] James Brackstone, […], →OCLC:

     When an author has many beauties consistent with virtue, piety, and truth, let not little critics exalt themselves, and shower down their ill nature.

4. An opponent.
5. Obsolete form of critique (“an act of criticism”).
   • 1711 May, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W[illiam] Lewis […]; and sold by W[illiam] Taylor […], T[homas] Osborn[e] […], and J[ohn] Graves […], →OCLC:

     Make each day a Critick on the last.

6. Obsolete form of critique (“the art of criticism”).
   • 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], chapter 21, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC, book IV, page 550:

     And, perhaps, if they were distinctly weighed, and duly considered, they would afford us another sort of logic and critic, than what we have been hitherto acquainted with.

critic (third-person singular simple present critics, present participle criticking, simple past and past participle criticked)

1. (obsolete, ambitransitive) To criticise.
   • 1607, Antony Brewer (attributed), Lingua, or the Combat of the Five Senses for Superiority

     Nay, if you begin to critic once, we shall never have done.

• citric

Borrowed from English critique, from French critique, from New Latin critica (“critique”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈcɾʲɪtʲɪc/

critic f (genitive singular critice, nominative plural criticí)

1. critique

   Synonym: beachtaíocht

2. criticism

   Synonyms: criticeas, léirmheastóireacht

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “critic”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• “critic”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2025

critic m pl

1. masculine plural of critich

Borrowed from French critique and Latin criticus.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkri.tik/

critic m (plural critici)

1. critic

critic m or n (feminine singular critică, masculine plural critici, feminine and neuter plural critice)

1. critical