condemnationsuch

Condemnationsuch is a term used in critical discourse studies and online rhetoric to describe a style of condemnation that is generalized and non-specific, often invoking universal moral standards to denounce acts, people, or groups. It characterizes rhetoric aimed at signaling moral alignment rather than documenting particular wrongdoing.

The word is a neologism formed from condemnation and such, signaling a category of blanket denunciation. Its usage appears in scholarly commentary and media analysis from the late 2010s onward, particularly in discussions of online discourse and identity politics.

Typical features include blanket judgments, appeals to abstract norms, second-person plural addresses (you people), and performative self-righteousness. It is common in social media threads, opinion columns, and televised debates, and is often paired with calls for social sanctions or exclusion.

Functions and effects: it can shape audience perception by preemptively stigmatizing subjects, deter discussion by locking in a frame, and amplify moral polarization. Critics note that it can obscure evidence and suppress nuance, while proponents may see it as a rhetorical tool for upholding norms.

Criticism and debate: scholars debate whether condemnationsuch constitutes a distinct rhetorical form and how power operates in its deployment, especially regarding who gets to define the norms being invoked. Others examine its relationship to moral panics and online shaming.

See also: moral panic; critical discourse analysis; performativity; online shaming.