Meaning & use
critic
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person whose job is to review and judge books, films, music, art, or performances.
Grammar: Countable: a film critic, several critics.
Patterns
- a critic of something
- a critic for a newspaper
The theatre critic praised the lead actor but disliked the script.
Critics were divided about the director's latest film.
She wrote as an art critic for a national paper.
nouncountable
Someone who says that a person, idea, or plan is flawed or wrong.
Grammar: Often followed by of: a critic of the government.
Patterns
- a critic of someone
- a critic of something
- a harsh critic
Critics of the plan say it will cost too much.
He has always been a fierce critic of the mayor.
I am my own harshest critic when I practise the piano.
Word forms
| plural | critics |
|---|
Common combinations
- film critic
- The film critic gave the movie four stars.
- harsh critic
- Her mother was her harshest critic.
- outspoken critic
- He became an outspoken critic of the new tax.
- critics say
- Critics say the law will hurt small businesses.
- literary critic
- A literary critic compared the novel to older classics.
- win over critics
- The restaurant won over critics with its simple menu.
Synonyms and how they differ
- reviewer
- Reviewer is used mainly for someone who writes a review of a work, while critic can also mean an opponent of a policy.
- commentator
- Commentator suggests explaining events or opinions, not necessarily judging quality.
- detractor
- Detractor is stronger and always negative, whereas a critic may offer fair praise too.
- opponent
- An opponent actively works against something, but a critic may merely point out problems.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: critic or critique?
critic vs critique
A critique is the analysis itself, whereas a critic is the person who writes it.
Practice
Which sentence uses critic in the sense of someone who disapproves of a policy?
Choose one answer.
A critic of the parking rules is someone who opposes them. The opera sentence uses the professional-reviewer meaning, and the others use critic unnaturally.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “critic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.