critic

A critic is a person who interprets and evaluates creative works or ideas, offering analysis, judgment, and context. In literature, film, music, theater, visual arts, and other fields, critics examine how a work is made, what it communicates, and how it relates to broader cultural or artistic traditions. The role can be professional, such as a columnist or reviewer for a publication, or informal, carried out by scholars, scholars, or enthusiasts.

Critics typically use established criteria to guide their assessment, including form and technique, originality, coherence, and significance. They may consider a work’s historical context, the author’s or artist’s intentions, and its impact on audiences or genres. Methods vary from close textual or visual analysis to comparative work, historical research, and theoretical framing. While some critics privilege certain standards or schools of thought, criticism generally aims to illuminate meaning and challenge assumptions rather than merely declare something good or bad.

Critics may publish reviews, essays, or longer critical studies. The distinction between critic and reviewer is often blurred: reviewers focus on evaluating a single work and its suitability for a given audience, while critics may engage in deeper interpretive work that connects works to broader ideas or debates. Ethical expectations for transparency and avoiding conflicts of interest are common in professional criticism, as is awareness of subjectivity and the influence of personal or ideological perspectives.

Historically, criticism has helped shape reception, taste, and development across arts and ideas, functioning as a public resource for understanding value and meaning in culture. See also: review, critical theory, cultural criticism.