condemn
Americanverb (used with object)
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to express an unfavorable or adverse judgment on; indicate strong disapproval of; censure.
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to pronounce to be guilty; sentence to punishment.
to condemn a murderer to life imprisonment.
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to give grounds or reason for convicting or censuring.
His acts condemn him.
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to judge or pronounce to be unfit for use or service.
to condemn an old building.
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U.S. Law. to acquire ownership of for a public purpose, under the right of eminent domain.
The city condemned the property.
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to force into a specific state or activity.
His lack of education condemned him to a life of menial jobs.
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to doom to eternal punishment in hell.
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to declare incurable.
verb
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to express strong disapproval of; censure
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to pronounce judicial sentence on
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to demonstrate the guilt of
his secretive behaviour condemned him
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to judge or pronounce unfit for use
that food has been condemned
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to compel or force into a particular state or activity
his disposition condemned him to boredom
Synonym Usage
See blame.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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condemnationnoun
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condemnernoun
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condemnornoun
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recondemnverb (used with object)
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condemnableadjective
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self-condemningadjective
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uncondemnableadjective
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uncondemningadjective
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condemnablyadverb
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condemninglyadverb
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uncondemninglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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condemnsimple
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condemnssimple
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have condemnedperfect
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has condemnedperfect
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am condemningprogressive
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are condemningprogressive
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is condemningprogressive
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have been condemningperfect progressive
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has been condemningperfect progressive
Past
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condemnedsimple
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had condemnedperfect
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was condemningprogressive
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were condemningprogressive
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had been condemningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of condemn
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English condempnen, from Anglo-French, Old French condem(p)ner, from Latin condemnāre; see con-, damn
Explanation
You can condemn, or openly criticize, someone who is behaving inappropriately. If you are an animal rights activist, you would probably condemn someone for wearing fur. Condemn originally comes, through Old French, from the Latin word condemnāre, "to sentence, condemn." You may see politicians condemn each other in political ads during a campaign in hopes of improving their chances of winning an election. You also might hear of a convict being "condemned to death." In this sense of the word, to condemn still carries on its Latin meaning of "to sentence."
Vocabulary lists containing condemn
List 3
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The Silent Treatment: Words Plagued by Silent Letters
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"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act V
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But it was extremely hypocritical of the U.S. to condemn the Barbary states for enslaving a few hundred Americans given, you know, the extensive enslavement of hundreds of thousands of Africans on American soil.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
But the late starts have proven controversial among some parents, who have taken to social media to condemn the idea.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
“The ISU continues to condemn all armed conflict around the world,” the ISU said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
A large section is devoted to the album's title track, still mistakenly regarded as a patriotic anthem by some, even though it was written to condemn US treatment of Vietnam War veterans.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
She knew that many DAR members disagreed with the organization’s official policy, and she did not want to condemn the entire group.
From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman
Hamawy has said he condemns Abdel-Rahman’s violent rhetoric and actions and that he had no contact with the cleric after his arrest.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
The United Nations said on Friday it "strongly condemns any attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, wherever they occur", adding it could not verify details due to restricted access to the area.
From Barron's ● May 24, 2026
"The Scottish FA condemns in the strongest possible terms attempts to compromise the safety of match officials," said the SFA, which organises refereeing in the SPFL.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
Grant has been a well-established critic of the Fed’s propensity to tolerate inflation for some time and in particular he condemns the purchasing power that has been lost since 2020, because of the Fed’s policies.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 14, 2026
It’s almost time to go “Also,” Minerva adds, “Padre Ignacio condemns fortunes only if you believe a human being knows what only God can know.”
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
The United States and its allies condemned on Tuesday China's "dangerous" behaviour after a clash the previous day between Chinese and Philippine sailors in the disputed South China Sea, a crucial route for global trade.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
The national police chief condemned the officers' alleged conduct in strong terms, warning that the command would no longer tolerate abuses of power.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
The makers of popular GLP-1 drugs have condemned the use of their medications for cosmetic weight loss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the episodes as “gangster-like bullying.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
I was just getting settled into my office routine when Steve asked me to go to death row to meet with a condemned man whom no one else had time to visit.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Gandhi had staged a sit-in protest on Tuesday, accusing the government of ignoring students demands and condemning a police crackdown on demonstrations in New Delhi a day earlier.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Every time the narrative comes close to truly condemning children’s access to devices, the movie pulls back in fear of isolating or angering the audience.
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026
On Wednesday, a group of Harley dealers issued a letter praising the leadership of Chief Executive Artie Starrs and condemning “divisive narratives.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
We’re not condemning them, we’re having fun with it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
He released sincere public statements deploring the shooting and condemning it as evil.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
