# condemn

Pronunciation: say "kuhn-DEM" /kənˈdɛm/

## Verb

1. To express strong disapproval of someone or something; to denounce.
   - Simple: To say strongly that someone or something is very wrong or bad.
   - _World governments condemned the invasion within hours._
   - _Critics continue to condemn the policy as cruel and shortsighted._
2. To pronounce someone guilty of an offense in a court of law.
   - Simple: To officially decide in court that someone is guilty.
   - _The tribunal condemned the defendant on three counts of fraud._
   - _Judges may condemn an accused person only after a fair trial._
3. To doom someone or something to a bad outcome or set of circumstances.
   - Simple: To make sure someone or something will suffer a bad fate.
   - _The long drought condemned thousands of farmers to ruin._
   - _A single bad decision can condemn an entire mission to collapse._
4. To pronounce sentence on someone following a finding of guilt.
   - Simple: To officially say in court what punishment a guilty person will get.
   - _The judge condemned him to life imprisonment._
   - _Courts once could condemn criminals to death for theft._
5. To officially declare that something is unfit for use or further use.
   - Simple: To officially say that something cannot be used safely anymore.
   - _Safety officials condemned the bridge after finding deep cracks._
   - _Regulators may condemn equipment that no longer meets the required standards._
6. To officially declare a building unfit for people to live in.
   - Simple: To officially say that a building is not safe for people to live in.
   - _Inspectors condemned the tenement after the fire left it structurally unsound._
   - _Authorities may condemn a building when its foundations become dangerous._
7. To officially declare that food or drink is unfit for people to eat or drink.
   - Simple: To officially say that food or drink is not safe to eat or drink.
   - _The inspector condemned an entire shipment of contaminated fish._
   - _Regulators may condemn dairy products that test positive for harmful bacteria._
8. To sentence someone to eternal punishment by divine judgment.
   - Simple: To send someone to suffer forever as a punishment from God.
   - _According to the doctrine, divine judgment condemns unrepentant sinners to everlasting torment._
   - _The faithful trusted that a merciful God would not condemn the innocent._
9. To officially designate private property for public use, taking it under the power of eminent domain.
   - Simple: To officially take private land so it can be used by the public.
   - _The government condemned a strip of land along the river for flood control._
   - _Authorities may condemn property to make way for a new railway._
10. To officially judge building or construction work as substandard, requiring it to be redone.
   - Simple: To officially say that building work is too poor and must be done again.
   - _The surveyor condemned the foundation work as dangerously substandard._
   - _Inspectors may condemn any construction that fails to meet code._
11. To officially declare a ship or vessel unfit for service.
   - Simple: To officially say that a ship is not fit to sail anymore.
   - _Inspectors condemned the freighter after discovering a cracked hull._
   - _Maritime authorities may condemn a vessel that fails its seaworthiness survey._
12. To declare a captured vessel forfeited to the government or to be a lawful prize.
   - Simple: To officially take a captured ship and give it to the government.
   - _The admiralty court condemned the captured schooner as a lawful prize._
   - _Authorities may condemn a vessel seized while running a blockade._

## Origin

This word came through Middle English condempnen and Old French condamner from Latin condemnāre ('to sentence, condemn, blame'), formed from com- plus damnāre ('to harm, condemn, damn'), which itself came from damnum ('damage, injury, loss'). It replaced the native Middle English word fordemen.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/condemn (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).