condemn
English
Etymology
From Middle English condempnen, from Old French condamner, from Latin condemnāre (“to sentence, condemn, blame”), from com- + damnāre (“to harm, condemn, damn”), from damnum (“damage, injury, loss”). Displaced native Middle English fordemen (from Old English fordeman (“condemn, sentence, doom”) > Modern English fordeem.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kənˈdɛm/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɛm
Verb
condemn (third-person singular simple present condemns, present participle condemning, simple past and past participle condemned)
- (transitive) To strongly criticise or denounce; to excoriate the perpetrators of.
- The president condemned the terrorists.
- 1722, William Wollaston, “Sect. V. Truths relating to the Deity. Of his exiſtence, perfection, providence, &c.”, in The Religion of Nature Delineated, page 81:
- Ignorant and ſuperſtitious wretches meaſure the actions of letterd and philoſophical men by the tattle of their nurſes or illiterate parents and companions, or by the faſhion of the country : and people of differing religions judge and condemn each other by their own tenents ; when both of them cannot be in the right, and it is well if either of them are.
- (transitive) To judicially pronounce (someone) guilty.
- (transitive) To judicially announce a verdict upon a finding of guilt; To sentence
- The judge condemned him to death.
- She was condemned to life in prison.
- (transitive) To confer eternal divine punishment upon.
- (transitive) To adjudge (a building) as being unfit for habitation.
- The house was condemned after it was badly damaged by fire.
- (transitive) To adjudge (building or construction work) as of unsatisfactory quality, requiring the work to be redone.
- (transitive) To adjudge (food or drink) as being unfit for human consumption.
- To declare something to be unfit for use, or further use.
- 1962 December, “Motive Power Miscellany: Western Region”, in Modern Railways, page 425:
- There was a massive slaughter of W.R. steam power at the conclusion of the summer timetable. In all, 169 locomotives were condemned.
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- (transitive) To determine and declare (property) to be assigned to public use. See eminent domain.
- (transitive, law) To declare (a vessel) to be forfeited to the government, to be a prize, or to be unfit for service.
Synonyms
- damn
- (to pronounce guilty): convict
Antonyms
- save
- (to pronounce guilty): acquit
Related terms
- condemnable
- condemnation
Translations
to scold sharply
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to pronounce guilty
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to confer eternal divine punishment upon
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to adjudge as unfit for habitation
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to adjudge food or drink as unfit for human consumption
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to declare property to be assigned to public use
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to declare a vessel forfeited or unfit for service
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Further reading
- condemn in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- condemn in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
- condemn at OneLook Dictionary Search