condemn

present singular third person condemns · participle present condemning · participle past condemned · past condemned

1. transitiveTo strongly criticise or denounce; to excoriate.

   The president condemned the terrorists.

   2 more examples

   Ignorant and ſuperſtitious wretches meaſure the actions of letterd and philoſophical men by the tattle of their nurſes or illiterate parents and companions, or by the faſhion of the country : and people of differing religions judge and condemn each other by their own tenents ; when both of them cannot be in the right, and it is well if either of them are.

   1722, William Wollaston, “Sect. V. Truths relating to the Deity. Of his exiſtence, perfection, providence, &c.”, in The Religion of Nature Delineated, page 81

   The expedition leader, Henry Morton Stanley, also discovered Jameson’s sketches and diaries. Furious at the disgrace that it brought the mission, he publicly condemned Jameson, validating the claims that the whisky heir had purchased a child’s execution for the sake of a drawing.

   2026 September 3, Nicholas Muhoro, “The Horrific History of Child Cannibalism in the Congo”, in Skip Boring, archived from the original on 04 Sep 2026

   Synonyms: admonish, objurgate, upbraid, admonish, animadvert, bash, bawl out, tilt

2. transitiveTo judicially pronounce (someone) guilty.

   Synonyms: convict, damn, sentence, adjudge, convict, damn, deem, doom · Antonyms: acquit, clear, vindicate, acquittance, assoil, assoilzie, acquit, absolve

3. transitiveTo judicially announce a verdict upon a finding of guilt; To sentence

   The judge condemned him to death.

   1 more example

   She was condemned to life in prison.

4. transitiveTo confer eternal divine punishment upon.

   Synonyms: damn · Antonyms: save

5. figurativelytransitiveTo destine to experience bad circumstances; to doom.

   Too many people are condemned to a life of poverty.

   Synonyms: curse, fate, foreordain, preordain

6. transitiveTo declare something to be unfit for use, or further use.

   There was a massive slaughter of W.R. steam power at the conclusion of the summer timetable. In all, 169 locomotives were condemned.

   1962 December, “Motive Power Miscellany: Western Region”, in Modern Railways, page 425

   1. transitiveTo adjudge (a building) as being unfit for habitation.

      The house was condemned after it was badly damaged by fire.

   2. transitiveTo adjudge (building or construction work) as of unsatisfactory quality, requiring the work to be redone.
   3. transitiveTo adjudge (food or drink) as being unfit for human consumption.
   4. transitivelawTo declare (a vessel) to be unfit for service.
7. transitiveTo determine and declare (property) to be assigned to public use. See eminent domain.
8. transitivelawTo declare (a vessel) to be forfeited to the government or to be a prize.