krytyczka

Krytyczka is a Polish noun describing a female critic, particularly in the fields of literature, film, theatre, music, and visual arts. A krytyczka analyzes, interprets, and evaluates artistic works and trends, and writes reviews, essays, or column-style commentary that appears in newspapers, magazines, or online media. The term is the feminine form of krytyk (male critic) derived from krytyka (criticism). The usage signals the gender of the critic, though modern Polish often uses gender-neutral forms when the gender is unknown or irrelevant.

In cultural journalism, krytyczki may specialize in a given domain (literary criticism, film criticism, theatre criticism, etc.). Their work contributes to shaping public reception and discourse by highlighting strengths and weaknesses, placing works within historical or theoretical contexts, and sometimes influencing funding or programming decisions. The term can appear in biographical or historical writing to identify a critic, or in contemporary media to describe someone’s professional role. Depending on the publication, krytyczka can be a freelance critic, a staff writer, or a scholar who publishes critical analyses.

See also: krytyka, recenzja, krytyk, recenzent.