A critiquea careful spoken or written evaluation of something is usually a careful written or spoken evaluationan opinion about the value, quality, or effectiveness of something, especially of a book, film, performance, or idea. It can also mean the act of examininglooking at something closely to understand or judge it something closely and judging its strengths and weaknesses. As a verb, critique means to evaluate something critically.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /kri-TEEK/
Easy pronunciation: kri-TEEK (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress on the second syllable.
Noun: a written critical review or evaluation.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Critique Meaning
a written review that judges something and explains its strengths and weaknesses
Part of speech: noun
Definition: an essay or article that gives a critical evaluation of something, such as a book or play
Example: Her critique of the novel was thoughtful and fair.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- review — A common substitute when the critique is a written evaluation.
- critical review — Directly matches the sense of a written evaluation.
- review article — Works in academic or formal contexts, especially for published evaluations.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Critique
Meaning 2
careful criticism or analysis of something
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a serious examination and judgment of something
Example: The policy came under sharp critique from experts.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- criticism — A strong synonym when it means detailed judgment or evaluation.
Meaning 3
to judge and evaluate something carefully
Part of speech: verb
Definition: appraise critically
Example: Please critique this performance.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- review — A natural verb substitute when asking someone to evaluate something.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Critique Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- review
- critical review
careful examination and judgment (noun)
- criticism
to evaluate critically (verb)
- review
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Critique in a Sentence
- Please critique this performance.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Do not confuse critique with criticize. A critique is usually a full evaluation, while criticize can simply mean to point out faults.
- As a noun, critique often means a formal or detailed review, not just a negative opinion.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does critique mean?
Critique usually means a careful review or evaluation of something. It can be a noun for the evaluation itself, or a verb meaning to evaluate something critically.
What is a synonym for critique?
For the noun, review and critical review are good synonyms in many contexts. For the sense of careful judgment, criticism can also work. As a verb, review is often the closest synonym.
Is critique the same as criticism?
They are related, but not exactly the same. Critique usually suggests a careful, balanced evaluation, while criticism can be more general and may sound more negative.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
