criticism
UK[ˈkrɪtɪsɪzəm]US[ˈkrɪtɪˌsɪzəm]
n
The act of expressing disapproval of someone or something and of noting the problems or faults they have.
n
The activity of making careful judgments about the good and bad qualities of books, movies, etc.
Morpheme Breakdown
critic
ism
critic
able to discern or judge.
ism
Etymology
The word 'criticism' is built upon the Greek concept of 'krinein', meaning to separate, decide, or judge. This root gave rise to 'kritikos', referring to a person skilled in making discerning judgments, especially in literature. The suffix '-ismos' was added to form an abstract noun denoting the action, practice, or principles of such judgment. Thus, the literal construction "the practice of a judge" evolved from its classical application in literary analysis to its broader modern meanings encompassing both evaluative judgment and the expression of disapproval.
Analysis
Structure: critic + ism
critic: From Latin criticus and Greek kritikos, meaning "able to discern or judge." It functions as the core root denoting judgment or evaluation.
ism: From Greek -ismos, a suffix forming nouns of action, state, or doctrine. It functions as a noun-forming suffix indicating a practice, system, or principle.
Examples
He offered some constructive criticism on my essay.
The new policy has faced strong criticism from the public.
She studied literary criticism at university.