What does condemnatory mean?
Condemnatory is an adjective describing something that expresses forceful disapproval or outright censure — a statement, tone, look, or attitude that condemns rather than merely criticizes. It sits at the severe end of the disapproval spectrum: a critical remark may point out flaws, but a condemnatory one declares its target wrong, blameworthy, or unacceptable. The word appears most often in formal registers such as journalism, politics, law, and institutional reports, as in "a condemnatory UN resolution" or "her condemnatory silence." Its closest relatives include censorious, denunciatory, and damning, though each carries slightly different shades of judgment. Derived from the same Latin root as "condemn," it entered English in the seventeenth century and remains a precise way to signal not just disagreement but moral or official rebuke.
adjectiveExpressing strong disapproval or censure; serving to condemn a person, action, or thing.
- Expressing strong disapproval or condemnation, especially in speech or writing.
"The committee issued a strongly condemnatory statement about the safety violations."
"Her letter to the editor was scathingly condemnatory of the council's handling of the housing crisis."
"The referee's condemnatory glare said more than any card could have."
Condemnatory and the word 'damn' are distant cousins — both trace back to the Latin verb damnare, 'to inflict loss upon.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of condemnatory
Condemnatory derives from the Latin verb damnare, meaning "to inflict loss upon" or "to condemn," via its derivative condemnare, which passed into Old French as condamner and then into Middle English as "condemn." The adjective form arose in English during the early seventeenth century, built on the model of Latinate adjectives ending in -ory. It shares this ultimate root with words such as "damnation" and "damning," all expressing judgment against someone or something.
Related word forms
How condemnatory is actually used
A formal word typical of journalism, official statements, legal contexts, and serious criticism; it sounds stilted in casual conversation. It usually describes speech, writing, looks, or attitudes rather than people directly.
Easily confused with condemnatory
"Condemnatory" expresses formal disapproval or censure, while "contemptuous" conveys scorn or a feeling that someone is beneath consideration.