metacritical

Metacritical is an adjective describing discourse, analysis, or practice that examines criticism itself. It concerns how criticism is produced, what standards and criteria are used, and which biases or power relations shape evaluation. Metacritical work asks not only what a text means, but how its meaning is judged and by whom.

Origin and usage: The term blends meta- ('beyond, about') with critical. It is used across the humanities and social sciences to refer to reflexive assessments of the practices of criticism rather than the object of criticism. Metacritical discussion appears in literary theory, philosophy of interpretation, art criticism, and discourse studies, often in debates about legitimacy, authority, and methodology.

Key features: Metacritical approaches foreground reflexivity and transparency about method, criteria, and context. They examine how evaluative standards are formed, how institutional or cultural forces influence judgments, and how normative assumptions are challenged or reaffirmed. Metacritical questions might ask: What counts as evidence? Whose voices are valued? How do genres, audiences, or political positions shape reception?

Relation and distinction: Metacritical discourse is related to reflexivity, meta-analysis, meta-critique, and critical theory, but centers on the critique of criticism itself rather than subject matter. It seeks to make the processes of interpretation more explicit and accountable. See also reflexivity, meta-analysis, meta-critique, critical theory.