condemn

verb

kən-ˈdem How to pronounce condemn (audio)
Definition of condemnnext
1
as in to denounce
to declare to be morally wrong or evil it is a sign of human progress that slavery, which was once legal in many places, is now universally condemned

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to criticize
to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of a report that condemns the working conditions in the factories of many developing countries

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to censure
to express public or formal disapproval of the philosopher's works were once condemned by the church and placed on its list of forbidden books

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to convict
to find or pronounce guilty the accused was condemned by the news media even before the trial began

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to sentence
to impose a judicial punishment on a stern judge who does not hesitate to condemn a felon to life behind bars

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb condemn differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of condemn are censure, criticize, denounce, reprehend, and reprobate. While all these words mean "to find fault with openly," condemn usually suggests an unqualified and final unfavorable judgment.

condemned the government's racial policies

In what contexts can censure take the place of condemn?

The synonyms censure and condemn are sometimes interchangeable, but censure carries a strong suggestion of authority and of reprimanding.

a Senator formally censured by his peers

Where would criticize be a reasonable alternative to condemn?

The words criticize and condemn are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, criticize implies finding fault especially with methods or policies or intentions.

criticized the police for using violence

How do denounce and condemn relate to one another?

Denounce adds to condemn the implication of a public declaration.

a pastoral letter denouncing abortion

When could reprehend be used to replace condemn?

While in some cases nearly identical to condemn, reprehend implies both criticism and severe rebuking.

reprehends the self-centeredness of today's students

When is it sensible to use reprobate instead of condemn?

The meanings of reprobate and condemn largely overlap; however, reprobate implies strong disapproval or firm refusal to sanction.

reprobated his son's unconventional lifestyle

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of condemn Stephanie has just published a book about her unbelievable friendship with Emily, and is preparing to send her son Miles (Joshua Satine), a precocious adolescent condemned to being an instrument for exposition, to camp. — Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025 The project came to him via his wife and longtime collaborator, Milla Jovovich, who was taken with the idea of playing the story’s key protagonist, a powerful and persecuted witch named Gray Alys condemned to grant any wish that’s asked of her. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025 For years before the Kansas City Fire Department condemned the Cloverleaf Apartments, conditions there had been a far cry from the good luck charm implied by the name. — Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2025 As a further embarrassment, our country voted alongside such paragons of liberty as Belarus and North Korea in voting against a United Nations resolution condemning Russia’s aggression. — The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for condemn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for condemn
  1. criticize
  2. convict
  3. sentence
  4. blame
  5. censure
  6. fault
  7. punish
  8. reprimand
Verb
  • Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have sharply criticized the other Supreme Court judges for declining to hear a case called Alabama v. California.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Musk has repeatedly criticized Social Security, one of the government's most popular programs, and DOGE staffers have been working inside the agency.
    — arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of criticize
Verb
  • Teixeira, who worked as an information technology specialist, was convicted last year on federal charges, pleading guilty to six counts of willfully retaining and transmitting national defense information.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Former officer Brett Hankison was convicted in November 2024 of violating Taylor’s civil rights.
    — Melissa Noel, Essence, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of convict
Verb
  • Rubén Oseguera, 35, was sentenced to life in a U.S. federal prison for helping his father run one of Mexico's largest and most violent drug trafficking organizations for seven years.
    — arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Carlson was sentenced by Butte County Superior Judge Corie J. Caraway, who imposed the 11-year maximum — six years for felony arson and five more for use of an accelerant.
    — Jake Goodrick, Sacramento Bee, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of sentence
Verb
  • Recently, however, doctors have started reporting more cases of iodine-deficient hypothyroidism—and our salt preferences may be at least partially to blame.
    — Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2025
  • The Democratic establishment’s focus on blaming Trump for those price spikes represents a stark break from its activists, who have launched a protest movement arguing that Trump is a budding dictator with no regard for the Constitution.
    — Steve Peoples, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of blame
Verb
  • Libby was censured by the state House of Representatives on Feb. 25 in a partisan 75-70 vote.
    — Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 12 Mar. 2025
  • The fact that Moskowitz voted to censure Green is outrageous and demands an apology.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of censure
Verb
  • Hours earlier, the head of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association officers’ union, Steadman Stahl, faulted Hill for winding up on the ground while being handcuffed.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
  • City audit led to changeover As for animal control, KC Pet Project sought that contract after a 2017 city audit had faulted the city-run animal control unit for being overly focused on issuing tickets to pet owners.
    — Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of fault
Verb
  • Counties with Republican executives were punished by receiving no vaccination site for months.
    — Ryan Silverstein, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2025
  • European leaders view the EU as an alliance focused on preventing wars after World War II, not punishing the United States, as Trump suggests.
    — Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of punish
Verb
  • Trump and Vance reprimanded Zelensky, accusing him of lacking gratitude for U.S. aid.
    — Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Police had stern words for one teenager caught surfing and four others were also reprimanded for putting themselves and others in danger.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of reprimand

Browse Nearby Words

condemn
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Condemn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/condemn. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on condemn

Nglish: Translation of condemn for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All