Meanings
- dateduncountableSynonym of textual criticism (“scientific reconstruction of original historical texts”).
Nor should it be forgotten in this connection that the conclusions of the Lower Criticism respecting the text were at first as vehemently assailed as are those of the Higher Criticism respecting the contents of Scripture, and from similar premises.
1891 August, Llewelyn J. Evans, “The Inerrancy of Scripture”, in The Homiletic Review, volume 22, number 2, page 106Synonyms: textual criticism
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of textual criticism (“scientific reconstruction of original historical texts”).
Origin
- Germanniedere Kritik
- Englishlower criticism
Calque of German niedere Kritik. In contrast to higher criticism, i.e. historical criticism, the broader interpretation of texts as historical sources, understood as building on the results of “lower criticism”.
More words from German
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
lower criticism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lower%20criticism
“lower criticism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lower%20criticism. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lower criticism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lower%20criticism.
Source: lower criticism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.