animadversion

animadversion

See also: animadversión

English

WOTD – 7 December 2009

Etymology

From French animadversion, from Latin animadversiō (“observation, criticism”), from animadvertō (“I pay attention”), from animus (“mind”) + advertō (“I turn to”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌænɪmædˈvɜːʒən/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌænɪmædˈvɝːʒən /, /ˌænɪmædˈvɝːʃən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

animadversion (countable and uncountable, plural animadversions)

1. (countable) A criticism, a critical remark.
   • January 1827, Sir Walter Scott, The Journal of Sir Walter Scott:

     [A] misconstruction or misinterpretation, nay, the misplacing of a comma, was in Gifford's eyes a crime worthy of the most severe animadversion.

   • 1895, Elias Lyman Magoon, reported in Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers, p. 357:

     While the censorious man is most severe in judging others, he is invariably the most ready to repel any animadversions made upon himself; upon the principle well understood in medical circles, that the feeblest bodies are always the most sensitive.

2. (uncountable) The state or characteristic of being animadversive.
   • 1603, (translator unknown), Essayes, volume 5-6, translation of original by Michel de Montaigne, page 3-4:

     He was deceived; for justice hath also knowledge and animadversion over such as gather stubble (as the common saying is) or looke about for grape-seed.

   • 1788, “The Federalist Papers”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), number 67, The Executive Department::

     Nor have I scrupled, in so flagrant a case, to allow myself a severity of animadversion little congenial with the general spirit of these papers.

   • 1830, Andrew Jackson, Second Annual Message to Congress:

     In a government like ours more especially should all public acts be, as far as practicable, simple, undisguised, and intelligible, that they may become fit subjects for the approbation to animadversion of the people.

Synonyms

• animadversiveness

Translations

criticism, a critical remark

Catalan: animadversió f Finnish: moite (fi), nuhteet pl French: reprobation (fr), critique (fr), blâme (fr) Italian: animavversione Latin: animadversio f Portuguese: animadversão f Russian: кри́тика (ru) f (krítika), неодобре́ние (ru) n (neodobrénije), осужде́ние (ru) n (osuždénije), порица́ние (ru) n (poricánije) Spanish: crítica (es), reprobación (es) Turkish: eleştiri (tr), kınama (tr)

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French

Etymology

From Latin animadversiō.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

animadversion f (plural animadversions)

1. animadversion (all senses)

Further reading

• “animadversion”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.