criticised

Criticised is the past tense and past participle of the verb criticise, the British English spelling of the corresponding American form criticize. The core meaning is to express disapproval of something or to evaluate something by identifying its faults. Depending on context, criticism can be neutral analysis or more pointed fault-finding.

In usage, criticise takes a direct object: for example, “The policy was criticised for its lack of funding.” It can appear in active voice (“they criticised the plan”) or passive voice (“the plan was criticised”). The phrase “to criticise someone for something” signals fault-finding directed at a person or their actions. The related noun forms include “criticism,” “critic,” and the related activity “critique.”

Spelling and variants differ by dialect. British English uses “criticised” and “criticising,” while American English uses “criticized” and “criticizing.” The pronunciation is similar across varieties, with the emphasis on the first syllable in the verb and a final -ed pronounced as a soft -t or -d sound in past forms.

Etymology traces criticise to Old French critiquer and Latin criticus, ultimately from Greek kritikos meaning “able to discern.” The term is closely related to criticism, critique, and the noun form critic, all centered on evaluating and judging something for its merits or faults.