Meaning & use
condemnatory
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Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Expressing strong disapproval or criticism of someone or something.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: a condemnatory remark; the report was condemnatory.
Patterns
- condemnatory remark
- condemnatory tone
- condemnatory statement
The judge's condemnatory words made it clear that the behavior would not be tolerated.
Her condemnatory tone surprised everyone at the meeting.
The report was highly condemnatory of the company's safety record.
Common combinations
- condemnatory remark
- He made a condemnatory remark about the government's handling of the crisis.
- condemnatory tone
- She spoke in a condemnatory tone that left no room for doubt.
- condemnatory statement
- The bishop issued a condemnatory statement about the violence.
- highly condemnatory
- The review was highly condemnatory of the new policy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- critical
- Critical is a general word for expressing disapproval, while condemnatory is stronger and more formal, suggesting moral judgment.
- disapproving
- Disapproving is milder and more common in everyday speech; condemnatory is reserved for serious, often official criticism.
- censorious
- Censorious means eager to criticize and is even more formal and literary than condemnatory.
Opposites
Word family
- condemn verb
- To say publicly that something is wrong or bad.
- condemnation noun
- The act of saying strongly that something is wrong.
Commonly confused: condemnatory or condemn?
condemnatory vs condemn
Condemn is the verb; condemnatory is the adjective describing something that expresses condemnation.
Practice
The senator's speech was ______ of the new immigration policy.
Choose one answer.
The adjective condemnatory fits after 'was' to describe the speech as expressing strong disapproval. 'Condemned' and 'condemning' are verb forms that would need a different structure, and 'condemnation' is a noun that cannot follow 'was' here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “condemnatory”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.