CONDEMN Synonyms: 166 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'condemn' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of condemn are censure , criticize , denounce , reprehend , and reprobate . While all these words mean "to find fault with openly," condemn usually suggests an unqualified and final unfavorable judgment. // condemned the government's racial policies

Q: In what contexts can 'censure' take the place of 'condemn'?

The synonyms censure and condemn are sometimes interchangeable, but censure carries a strong suggestion of authority and of reprimanding. // a Senator formally censured by his peers

Q: Where would 'criticize' be a reasonable alternative to 'condemn'?

The words criticize and condemn are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, criticize implies finding fault especially with methods or policies or intentions. // criticized the police for using violence

Q: How do 'denounce' and 'condemn' relate to one another?

Denounce adds to condemn the implication of a public declaration. // a pastoral letter denouncing abortion

Q: When could 'reprehend' be used to replace 'condemn'?

While in some cases nearly identical to condemn , reprehend implies both criticism and severe rebuking. // reprehends the self-centeredness of today's students

Q: When is it sensible to use 'reprobate' instead of 'condemn'?

The meanings of reprobate and condemn largely overlap; however, reprobate implies strong disapproval or firm refusal to sanction. // reprobated his son's unconventional lifestyle

condemn

verb

kən-ˈdem

Definition of condemn

as in to denounce

to declare to be morally wrong or evil it is a sign of human progress that slavery, which was once legal in many places, is now universally condemned

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as in to criticize

to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of a report that condemns the working conditions in the factories of many developing countries

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as in to censure

to express public or formal disapproval of the philosopher's works were once condemned by the church and placed on its list of forbidden books

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as in to convict

to find or pronounce guilty the accused was condemned by the news media even before the trial began

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as in to sentence

to impose a judicial punishment on a stern judge who does not hesitate to condemn a felon to life behind bars

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb condemn differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of condemn are censure, criticize, denounce, reprehend, and reprobate. While all these words mean "to find fault with openly," condemn usually suggests an unqualified and final unfavorable judgment.

condemned the government's racial policies

In what contexts can censure take the place of condemn?

The synonyms censure and condemn are sometimes interchangeable, but censure carries a strong suggestion of authority and of reprimanding.

a Senator formally censured by his peers

Where would criticize be a reasonable alternative to condemn?

The words criticize and condemn are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, criticize implies finding fault especially with methods or policies or intentions.

criticized the police for using violence

How do denounce and condemn relate to one another?

Denounce adds to condemn the implication of a public declaration.

a pastoral letter denouncing abortion

When could reprehend be used to replace condemn?

While in some cases nearly identical to condemn, reprehend implies both criticism and severe rebuking.

reprehends the self-centeredness of today's students

When is it sensible to use reprobate instead of condemn?

The meanings of reprobate and condemn largely overlap; however, reprobate implies strong disapproval or firm refusal to sanction.

reprobated his son's unconventional lifestyle

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of condemn Liberal commentators cheered Ossoff while conservative commentators condemned him. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026 Cusk, a Canadian-Brit educated at Oxford, has long been laurelled and condemned for her ruthless chronicles of selfhood. — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026 The pavilion’s curator Chen Hsiang-Wen and its ten participating artists condemned the change, which comes amid threats to the nation’s sovereignty by China. — News Desk, Artforum, 19 Aug. 2026 Tiffany’s social media posts that clipped Crowley’s answers to data center questions were reshared and condemned by many progressives who had supported Hong. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for condemn

Recent Examples of Synonyms for condemn

Verb

Curtis’ office, and created online petitions denouncing Kurv’s industrial plan, garnering more than 1,000 signatures.

— Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Pyongyang has long denounced the joint drills, calling them a rehearsal for invading the North.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of denounce

Verb

Wasserman Schultz was sharply criticized by Black community leaders and the other four candidates, who are all African American, for running in this district.

— Caroline Linton, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Ba's novels explored women caught between traditional upbringing and modern aspirations, criticizing polygamy, widespread in the country, and patriarchy.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of criticize

Verb

There have also been calls for him to be censured or even expelled by other members of Congress, especially in the wake of several high-profile accusations of misconduct in the House.

— Caroline Linton, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Independent investigations commissioned by the county found instances of managerial misconduct, leading the Shasta County Board of Supervisors to formally censure him earlier this August.

— Drew Askeland, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of censure

Verb

The threats returned last July, even though one person involved in the earlier case has been convicted.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Two Elmwood jail inmates were convicted at trial of murdering another inmate in a vicious gang beating that was executed over the course of 11 agonizing minutes, and went undetected even as it was recorded on surveillance cameras.

— Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of convict

Verb

He was eventually convicted and sentenced to seven months in prison, and in July 2026 he was transferred to prison to begin serving his sentence.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Earlier in the week Judge Johnson sentenced two other Drive Planning employees, Chief Operating Officer David Bradford and Chief Administrative Officer Julie Edwards.

— Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of sentence

Verb

But blaming the technology risks obscuring the fact that humans write the code, select the data on which AI systems are trained, approve their use, and decide where and how they are deployed.

— Shaun Harper, AJC.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Many adults who struggle with food or body image blame the role models who were dieting during their childhood.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of blame

Verb

Researchers believe this may have been a reactivation of faulting in the prehistoric rocks beneath the monocline.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Sabalenka double-faulted on match point, her seventh double fault of the day, to put an exclamation point on an irritating evening.

— Lukas Weese, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of fault

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“Condemn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/condemn. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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