Critique

Research

Balanced, criteria-based evaluation of a text, method, or theory — identifying strengths and weaknesses rather than simply approving or rejecting.

Sources

1. Merriam-Webster — critique merriam-webster.com accessed 23 September 2026

Merriam-Webster defines the noun as “an act of criticizing; especially: a critical estimate or discussion”. Borrowed from French, from Latin critica, “evaluation of literary works”, from Greek kritikós, “discerning, capable of judging”. First recorded 1679. The etymology supports the distinction students are taught: the root is judging, not faulting, so a critique weighs strengths as well as weaknesses.

Merriam-Webster is cited as the dictionary of record: where an entry defines a word rather than a position, a dictionary is the primary source for it. The research usage above is this lexicon’s own.

Related terms

• Abbreviation
• Abstract
• Abstraction
• Academic Database
• Analysis
• Annotation

From the AJG lexicon archive (July 2026).