What is the Latin word for criticize?

The usual Latin words for “criticize” are iūdicō, reprehendō, vituperō; also improbō, castīgō, obtrectō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“criticize” in Latin

iūdicōto examine judicially, judge, pass judgement, decide; condemn; to judge; proclaim; determine, conclude; adjudge reprehendōto hold back, hold fast, take hold of, seize, catch; to hold fast, check, restrain; retrieve, recover, restore; to blame vituperōto censure; to scold, tell off, blame; to disparage, find fault with improbōto disapprove; to blame, condemn, reject castīgōto castigate, chastise, reprove; to punish; to rebuke, reprimand obtrectōto disparage, underrate, decry; to thwart

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

criticize

judicare: notare aliquem (sc. verbis, to point anybody out, and thus criticize him): reprehendere (to blame): vituperare (to blame as false or wrong, opposed to laudare): improbare (to reprove): castigare (to criticise with words, to reprehend): obtrectare (to criticise from a feeling of envy). To criticise anything or anybody, censuram agere alicujus rei or alicujus (e.g., the kings, regnantium); inquirere in aliquid (stronger term; e.g., in vitia alicujus, the faults of anybody): carpere: vellicareriticise: destringere (maliciously, etc.): to criticise severely, corripere: to criticise ironically, cavillari. To criticise everything too minutely, minutius et scrupulosius omnia scrutari (Quint. 5, 14, 28): to criticise anything in a popular way, not according to the rules of art, aliquid not aurificis statera, sed quadam populari trutina examinare (Cic.): the act or deed was not criticised, factum reprehensore caruit: to criticise a litterary production, *libri censuram scribere; argumentum libri recensere: to be severely criticised, reprehendi; vituperari; in vituperationem venire, or cadere, or incidere, or adduci; vituperationem subire: to be criticised on many points, in varias reprehensiones incurrere.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for criticize?: The usual Latin words for “criticize” are iūdicō, reprehendō, vituperō; also improbō, castīgō, obtrectō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.