Criticising

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To appraise or assess someone or something in a negative manner by highlighting its deficiencies or faults
2. Pointing out mistakes or shortcomings in a person or thing to show what is wrong
3. Offering negative feedback or judgment about qualities that are perceived as incorrect or inadequate

Etymology: "Criticising" is the British spelling of "criticizing," the present participle of "criticise," and it inherits its whole story from "critic." That noun came into English from Latin "criticus," which was borrowed from Greek "kritikos," meaning able to discern or judge, a word built from "krites," a judge. The Greek root sense was therefore the act of judging and separating good from bad, and the notion of finding faults grew out of that idea of careful discrimination. The verb "criticise" was formed in English by adding the suffix "-ise" to "critic," a pattern used for many verbs of this kind. The meaning shifted from judging in general toward evaluating a work or argument, and then toward pointing out its flaws, which is the sense the present participle carries today. The "-ize" spelling is the Oxford-style variant of the same word, with the two forms differing only in convention.

Synonyms: reviewing, evaluating, judging, censuring, faulting

Antonyms: praising, complimenting, approving, endorsing, celebrating