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| n. A critical evaluation or analysis, especially one dealing with works of art or literature. tr.v. cri·tiqued, cri·tiqu·ing, cri·tiques Usage Problem To evaluate or analyze critically. [French, from Greek kritikē (tekhnē), (art) of criticism, feminine of kritikos, critical; see CRITIC.] Usage Note: Critique has been used as a verb meaning “to review or discuss critically” since the 1700s, but lately this usage has gained much wider currency, partly because the once-neutral verb criticize is now used mainly in a negative sense. The use of critique as a verb is widely though not universally accepted: In our 2016 survey, the sentence As mock inquisitors grill him, top aides take notes and critique the answers with the President afterward was deemed acceptable by 63 percent of the Usage Panel, while 62 percent approved of the sentence Students are taught how to do a business plan and then they are critiqued on it. But a substantial minority of readers are annoyed by the verb, partly because borrowings from French can sound pretentious, partly because verbs derived from nouns sometimes have trouble gaining acceptance. There is no exact synonym, but in some contexts one can substitute evaluate or review. · The use of critique as a noun is uncontroversial: in our 2016 survey, 93 percent of the Usage Panel approved of its use in the sentence The committee gave the report a thorough critique and found it both informed and intelligent. |
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