critic

KRIT-ik/ˈkɹɪt.ɪk/

7 meanings of critic

1
nouncountable
A person who finds fault or expresses disapproval of someone or something.
As a vocal critic of the new policy, she wrote letters to the council every week.
The mayor dismissed his critics as people who never offered any solutions.
Similardetractor, faultfinder, attacker
Oppositesupporter, defender, champion, advocate
Note
Fault-finding was part of the word early. Isaac Watts in 1741 warns "little critics" not to "shower down their ill nature" on a virtuous author. In current use this sense usually takes of, as in a critic of the policy, and often a sharpening adjective such as vocal or harsh. Unlike the appraiser, this critic need not judge any work at all, only object.
2
nouncountable
An expert who judges works of art and publishes assessments of their quality.
A respected theater critic, she had reviewed every major production for two decades.
Music critics were sharply divided over the album's experimental sound.
Similarreviewer, commentator, pundit
3
nouncountable
A person who evaluates and judges the work produced by others.
Every critic at the competition scored the entries independently.
The panel of critics assessed each design against strict standards.
Similarjudge, assessor, evaluator, reviewer
Note
Judgment sits at the root. The word came through Middle French critique and Latin criticus from Greek kritikós, "able to discern," built on krínō, "I judge." The original idea is discernment rather than complaint, which is why Macaulay in 1856 could call the best judges of verse "the most skilful critics." A critic in this sense weighs a work; the fault-finder mostly objects.
4
nouncountable
A person who stands in opposition to someone or something.
As a longtime critic of the regime, he was eventually forced to flee the country.
Critics of the merger gathered enough votes to delay the deal.
Similaropponent, detractor, adversary, dissident
Oppositesupporter, proponent, advocate, ally

Less common meanings

5
nounobsoletecountable
Obsolete form of critique.
Make each day a Critick on the last.
1711, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism
Note
This spelling has since swapped places with critique. Pope's An Essay on Criticism (1711) writes "Make each day a Critick on the last," meaning a review of the day before. Critique, meanwhile, once served for the person. Modern English has sorted them out: a critique is what you write, and a critic is who writes it.
6
nounobsoleteuncountable
Obsolete form of critique.
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, [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding
Note
The uncountable cousin of the obsolete "review" spelling names a discipline rather than a single piece of judgment. Locke, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (1689), sets it beside logic as a field of study: "another sort of logic and critic." Used this way it takes no article, like logic itself. Today the art is called critique, or simply criticism.
7
verbobsoletetransitive or intransitive
To find fault with or judge the merits and faults of someone or something.
Note
A verb made straight from the noun, now obsolete. In Lingua (1607), attributed to Antony Brewer, a speaker complains, "if you begin to critic once, we shall never have done." Its forms add a k before the ending, giving criticked and criticking, the same adjustment that keeps the c hard in panicked. Modern English uses criticize instead.

Practice

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Origin

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