Critic definition | Dictionary.com

crit⋅ic

[krit-ik]

–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, esp. for a newspaper or magazine.

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

Archaic.

a.	criticism.

critique.

Origin:
1575–85; < L criticus < Gk kritikós skilled in judging (adj.), critic (n.), equiv. to kr

t(ēs) judge, umpire (kr

(nein) to separate, decide + -tēs agent suffix) + -ikos -ic

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Language Translation for : Critic

Spanish:

crítico,

German:

der, *die Kritiker(in),

Japanese:

批評家

View 30 other languages »

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crit·ic (krĭt'ĭk) Pronunciation Key
n.

One who forms and expresses judgments of the merits, faults, value, or truth of a matter.
One who specializes especially professionally in the evaluation and appreciation of literary or artistic works: a film critic; a dance critic.
One who tends to make harsh or carping judgments; a faultfinder.

[Latin criticus, from Greek kritikos, able to discern, from kritēs, judge, from krīnein, to separate, judge; see krei- in Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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critic

1583, from L. criticus, from Gk. kritikos "able to make judgments," from krinein "to separate, decide." The Eng. word always had overtones of "censurer, faultfinder." Critical in this sense is from 1590; meaning "of the nature of a crisis" is 1649 (see crisis).

"A perfect judge will read each work of wit
With the same spirit that its author writ;"
[Pope, "An Essay on Criticism," 1709]

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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critic
noun
1.	a person who is professionally engaged in the analysis and interpretation of works of art
2.	anyone who expresses a reasoned judgment of something
3.	someone who frequently finds fault or makes harsh and unfair judgments

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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Critic

Crit"ic\ (kr?t"?k), n. [L. criticus, Gr. ????, a critic; prop., an adj. meaning able to discuss, from ???? to judge, discern. See Certain, and cf. Critique.]

1. One skilled in judging of the merits of literary or artistic works; a connoisseur; an adept; hence, one who examines literary or artistic works, etc., and passes judgment upon them; a reviewer.

The opininon of the most skillful critics was, that nothing finer [than Goldsmith's "Traveler"] had appeared in verse since the fourth book of the "Dunciad." --Macaulay.

2. One who passes a rigorous or captious judgment; one who censures or finds fault; a harsh examiner or judge; a caviler; a carper.

When an author has many beauties consistent with virtue, piety, and truth, let not little critics exalt themselves, and shower down their ill nature. --I. Watts.

You know who the critics are? the men who have failed in literature and art. --Beaconsfield.

3. The art of criticism. [Obs.] --Locke.

4. An act of criticism; a critique. [Obs.]

And make each day a critic on the last. --Pope.

Critic

Crit"ic\, a. Of or pertaining to critics or criticism; critical. [Obs.] "Critic learning." --Pope.

Critic

Crit"ic\, v. i. [Cf. F. critiquer.] To criticise; to play the critic. [Obs.]

Nay, if you begin to critic once, we shall never have done. --A. Brewer.