critic

American  

[krit-ik] / ˈkrɪt ɪk /

noun

1. a person who judges, evaluates, or criticizes.

   a poor critic of men.

2. a person who judges, evaluates, or analyzes literary or artistic works, dramatic or musical performances, or the like, especially for a newspaper or magazine.

   Synonyms:

   judge, reviewer

3. a person who tends too readily to make captious, trivial, or harsh judgments; faultfinder.

   Synonyms:

   carper, censurer

4. Archaic.

   1. criticism.

   2. critique.

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critic British  

/ ˈkrɪtɪk /

noun

1. a person who judges something

2. a professional judge of art, music, literature, etc

3. a person who often finds fault and criticizes

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Other Word Forms

• supercritic noun

Etymology

Origin of critic

1575–85; < Latin criticus < Greek kritikós skilled in judging (adj.), critic (noun), equivalent to krī́t ( ēs ) judge, umpire ( krī́ ( nein ) to separate, decide + -tēs agent suffix) + -ikos -ic

Example Sentences

But a prominent critic of the deal with the Blazers said Dundon’s history with regulators is troubling.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026

As one critic wrote, the Moleskines’ prospective buyers were being offered the fantasy of being able “to write in a blank space that Didion might once have intended to use herself.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Lumumba, an outspoken critic of Belgium's colonial rule, became his country's first prime minister after it gained independence in 1960.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

The pop star named best new artist at Sunday’s Grammy Awards challenged her critic to donate $25,000 to struggling musicians.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

One critic praised “Miss Anderson’s power to move her listeners as can no other singer of her generation.”

From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• authority
• cartoonist
• commentator
• expert
• judge
• pundit
• reviewer