Meanings
nouncritic (countable and uncountable, plural critics)
plural critics · alternative critick
- countableA person who appraises the works of others.
Following its publication, the novel received widespread acclaim from literary critics.
1 more example
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.
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 - countableA specialist in judging works of art.
- countableOne who criticizes; a person who finds fault.
When an author has many beauties consistent with virtue, piety, and truth, let not little critics exalt themselves, and shower down their ill nature.
1741, I[saac] Watts, The Improvement of the Mind: Or, A Supplement to the Art of Logick: […], London: […] James Brackstone, […], →OCLC - countableAn opponent.
- countableobsoleteObsolete form of critique (“an act of criticism”).
Make each day a Critick on the last.
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 - obsoleteuncountableObsolete form of critique (“the art of criticism”).
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.
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
verbcritic (third-person singular simple present critics, present participle criticking, simple past and past participle criticked)
present singular third person critics · participle present criticking · participle past criticked · past criticked · alternative critick
- ambitransitiveobsoleteTo 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.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Ancient Greekκριτικός“of or for judging, able to discern”
- Latincriticus
- Middle Frenchcritique
- Englishcritic
Borrowed from Middle French critique, from Latin criticus, from Ancient Greek κριτικός (kritikós, “of or for judging, able to discern”), from κρίνω (krínō, “to judge”).
More words from Middle French, Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic نَقَّاد, نَاقِد
- نَقَّاد (naqqād)person who appraises the works of others
- نَاقِد (nāqid)person who appraises the works of others
- ناقدone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
Bulgarian кри́тик, кри́тик
- кри́тик (krítik)person who appraises the works of others
- кри́тик (krítik)specialist in judging works of art
- критикар (kritikar)one who criticizes; a person who finds fault
Catalan crític, crític
- críticperson who appraises the works of others
- críticspecialist in judging works of art
- críticone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
Chinese Cantonese 評論家 /评论家
- 評論家 /评论家 (ping⁴ leon⁶ gaa¹)specialist in judging works of art
Chinese Mandarin 批評家 /批评家, 評論家 /评论家
- 批評家 /批评家 (pīpíngjiā)person who appraises the works of others
- 評論家 /评论家 (pínglùnjiā)person who appraises the works of others
- 評論家 /评论家 (pínglùnjiā)specialist in judging works of art
Czech kritik
- kritikspecialist in judging works of art
Danish kritiker
- kritikerone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
Dutch criticus
- criticusperson who appraises the works of others
Esperanto kritikisto, kritikisto
- kritikistoperson who appraises the works of others
- kritikistospecialist in judging works of art
Estonian arvustaja, arvustaja
- arvustajaperson who appraises the works of others
- arvustajaone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
Finnish arvioija, arvottaja
- arvioijaperson who appraises the works of others
- arvottajaperson who appraises the works of others
- arvostelijaspecialist in judging works of art
- kriitikkospecialist in judging works of art
- arvostelijaone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- kriitikkoone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- vastustajaopponent
- vastaväittäjäopponent
French critique
- critiqueperson who appraises the works of others
German Kritiker, Kritiker
- Kritikerperson who appraises the works of others
- Kritikerspecialist in judging works of art
- Kritikerinspecialist in judging works of art
- Kritikerone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- Kritikeropponent
- Kritikerinopponent
- Gegneropponent
- Gegnerinopponent
Greek κριτικός, τεχνοκρίτης
- κριτικός (kritikós)person who appraises the works of others
- τεχνοκρίτης (technokrítis)specialist in judging works of art
- τεχνοκριτικός (technokritikós)specialist in judging works of art
- επικριτής (epikritís)one who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- κριτής (kritís)one who criticizes; a person who finds fault
Hebrew מְבַקֵּר, מְבַקֶּרֶת
- מְבַקֵּר (mevakér)person who appraises the works of others
- מְבַקֶּרֶת (mevakéret)person who appraises the works of others
- מְבַקֵּר (mevakér)specialist in judging works of art
- מְבַקֶּרֶת (mevakéret)specialist in judging works of art
Hindi आलोचक, विवेचक
- आलोचक (ālocak)person who appraises the works of others
- विवेचक (vivecak)person who appraises the works of others
- आलोचक (ālocak)specialist in judging works of art
- विवेचक (vivecak)specialist in judging works of art
- आलोचक (ālocak)one who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- विवेचक (vivecak)one who criticizes; a person who finds fault
Hungarian kritikus, kritikaíró
- kritikusperson who appraises the works of others
- kritikaíróperson who appraises the works of others
- kritikusspecialist in judging works of art
- ítészspecialist in judging works of art
- műítészspecialist in judging works of art
- műbírálóspecialist in judging works of art
- kritikusone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- bírálóone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- ellenzőopponent
Indonesian kritik
- kritikspecialist in judging works of art
Irish léirmheastóir, criticeoir
- léirmheastóirperson who appraises the works of others
- criticeoirperson who appraises the works of others
- criticeoirspecialist in judging works of art
- léirmheastóirspecialist in judging works of art
- cáinteoirone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
Italian critico, critico
- criticoperson who appraises the works of others
- criticospecialist in judging works of art
- criticoone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- polemistaone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- avversarioopponent
- oppositoreopponent
- concorrenteopponent
Japanese 批評家, 評論家
- 批評家 (hihyōka)person who appraises the works of others
- 評論家 (hyōronka)person who appraises the works of others
Persian منتقد, باریکبین
- منتقد (montaqed)person who appraises the works of others
- باریکبین (bârik-bin)person who appraises the works of others
Polish krytyk, krytyczka
- krytykperson who appraises the works of others
- krytyczkaperson who appraises the works of others
- krytykspecialist in judging works of art
- krytyczkaspecialist in judging works of art
- krytykone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- krytyczkaone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
Portuguese crítico, crítico
- críticoperson who appraises the works of others
- críticospecialist in judging works of art
- criticadorone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
Romanian critic, critică
- criticperson who appraises the works of others
- criticăperson who appraises the works of others
- criticspecialist in judging works of art
- criticăspecialist in judging works of art
- criticone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- criticăone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- oponentopponent
- oponentăopponent
- opozantopponent
- opozantăopponent
Russian кри́тик, кри́тик
- кри́тик (krítik)person who appraises the works of others
- кри́тик (krítik)specialist in judging works of art
- кри́тик (krítik)one who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- критика́н (kritikán)one who criticizes; a person who finds fault
Scottish Gaelic lèirmheasaiche
- lèirmheasaichespecialist in judging works of art
Slovak kritik, kritička
- kritikperson who appraises the works of others
- kritičkaperson who appraises the works of others
- kritikspecialist in judging works of art
- kritičkaspecialist in judging works of art
- kritikone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- kritičkaone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- kritikopponent
- kritičkaopponent
Spanish crítico, criticastro
- críticoperson who appraises the works of others
- criticastroone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- criticónone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
- criticadorone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
Swedish kritiker, kritiker
- kritikerperson who appraises the works of others
- kritikerspecialist in judging works of art
- kritikerone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
Tagalog mamumuna
- mamumunaperson who appraises the works of others
Thai นักวิจารณ์, นักวิจารณ์
- นักวิจารณ์ (nák-wí-jaan)person who appraises the works of others
- นักวิจารณ์ (nák-wí-jaan)specialist in judging works of art
- นักวิจารณ์ (nák-wí-jaan)one who criticizes; a person who finds fault
Turkish eleştirmen, eleştirmen
- eleştirmenperson who appraises the works of others
- eleştirmenspecialist in judging works of art
- eleştirmenone who criticizes; a person who finds fault
Vietnamese nhà phê bình
- nhà phê bìnhspecialist in judging works of art
Yiddish קריטיקער, קריטיקער
- קריטיקער (kritiker)person who appraises the works of others
- קריטיקער (kritiker)specialist in judging works of art
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with critic
analyticcatalyticSemiticparalyticcliticgranulocyticdiacriticUgariticchondriticencliticneriticamylohydrolyticanti-semiticaphaniticArvaniticautolyticbiolyticdialyticEthiosemiticHadramitichelicitichepatiticHimyariticisolytic
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
critic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/critic
MLA
“critic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/critic. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “critic,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/critic.
Source: critic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.