Kritiker

Kritiker is a German noun meaning “critic” or “a person who evaluates or judges,” especially in relation to art, literature, film, music, or public affairs. The word is built from Kritik (critique) and the agent suffix -er, and its etymology traces back through French critique and Latin criticus to the Greek kritikos, meaning capable of discerning.

Usage and scope: In regular language and journalism, a Kritiker is typically a professional reviewer—such as a film critic, theatre critic, or book critic—though the term can also describe anyone who regularly offers critical assessments. The feminine form is Kritikerin. The plural can be Kritiker (masculine or generic) and Kritikerinnen (feminine); for mixed-gender groups, phrases like Kritikerinnen und Kritiker are commonly used.

Contexts: In cultural discourse, Kritiker are authors who provide analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of works or performances. The term also appears in broader public debate to denote someone who offers appraisal or fault-finding, sometimes in a pejorative sense depending on context.

Philosophical usage: In German-language philosophy, critique is central, as reflected in the titles of major works such as Kant’s Kritik der reinen Vernunft (Critique of Pure Reason). While Kant himself is a critic in a technical sense, the noun Kritiker can describe scholars who engage in critical analysis or who formulate and defend specific critiques of theories or positions within philosophy.

See also: Kritik, Kritik der Vernunft, Kritik der Urteilskraft.