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cris-, crit-, cri- (Greek: a separating, putting apart; a decision; to judge).


acrisia:
The condition of a disease with no symptoms to establish the diagnosis.
acritical:
1. In medicine, not marked by a crisis.
2. Not judged.
autocritical:
Critical of oneself or one's own work.
crisis:
1. The turning point in the course of a disease, when it becomes clear whether the patient will recover or die.
2. A turning point in the course of anything; decisive or crucial time, stage, or event.
3. A time of great danger or trouble, whose outcome decides whether possible bad consequences will follow.
criterion:
A standard, rule, or test by which something can be judged; a measure of value.

Use and misuse: the proper use of "criterion" is singular while "criteria" is the correct plural form. Misuse is "criterions" or "criterias" for the plural or "criteria" as a singular form.

critic:
1. One who pronounces judgement on any thing or person; especially one who passes severe or unfavorable judgement; a censurer, fault-finder, caviller.
2. One skilful in judging the qualities and merits of literary or artistic works; one who writes upon the qualities of such works; a professional reviewer of books, pictures, plays, and the like; also one skilled in textual or biblical criticism.
3. An essay in criticism of a literary work, etc.; a critical notice or review; now critique.
4. Of or forming a crisis or turning point; decisive.


critical:
1. Given to judging; especially given to adverse or unfavorable criticism; fault-finding, censorious.
2. Involving or exercising careful judgement or observation; nice, exact, accurate, precise, punctual.
3. Occupied with or skilful in criticism.
criticism:
1. The action of criticizing, or passing judgement upon the qualities or merits of anything; especially the passing of unfavorable judgement; fault-finding, censure.
2. The art of estimating the qualities and character of literary or artistic work; the function or work of a critic.
criticism:
1. The act of making judgments; analysis of qualities and evaluation of comparative worth; especially, the critical consideration and judgment of literary or artistic work.
2. The act of finding fault; censuring; disapproval.
criticise:
British spelling of criticize.
criticize:
1. To analyze and judge as a critic.
2. To judge disapprovingly; find fault (with); censure.


critique:
1. A critical analysis or evaluation of a subject, situation, literary work, etc.
2. The act or art of criticizing; criticism.

It is not known why the noun, critique, was used in the first place, but the desire may have been to have a word free from the original, usually censorious sense of criticism. The word was first spelled critic or critick and has gradually been formed on the French pattern. Critique is useful and will undoubtedly continue to be used.

The verb form of critique is considered more a revival than a continuation of usage, starting apparently in the 1950s. Critique is at the first step of a line of historical developments that began with censure, which originally meant "estimate, judge" but gradually came to be used only for fault-finding. Criticize has followed the same path, and even though its neutral sense may still be in use, the usual negative implications that it carries for most people have probably prompted the preferable choice of critique; as in, "The teacher will critique her paper."

Webster's Dictionary of English Usage
(Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster Inc., 1989).


diacritical:
Capable, or showing a capacity, of distinguishing or discerning.
hypercritical:
1. Too critical; too severe in judgment; hard to please.
2. Of the character of a hypercritic; extremely or unduly critical; addicted to excessive adverse criticism, especially upon minute or trivial points.
hypercriticism:
Excessive criticism; criticism that is unduly severe or about minute (trivial) matters.
hypercriticize:
To criticize excessively or unduly.
oneirocritic, onirocritic:
1. A judge or interpreter of dreams.
2. The art of interpreting dreams; oneirocriticism.
oneirocriticism, onirocriticism:
The art of interpreting dreams.
self-criticism: Criticism of oneself.

supercritical:
1. Highly critical.
2. Of, pertaining to, or designating a fluid at a temperature and pressure greater than its critical temperature and pressure.
uncritical:
Not critical; lacking in judgement; not addicted to criticism.