What does condemning mean?
Condemning is the present participle of the verb condemn, meaning to express forceful, often public disapproval of a person, action, or idea. It can also denote the act of officially pronouncing something guilty, unfit, or doomed — as when inspectors condemn a building or a court condemns a prisoner to punishment. The word carries a distinctly formal and moral register: governments issue statements condemning violence, organizations condemn injustice, and critics may condemn a work on ethical rather than aesthetic grounds. Its tone is stronger than mere criticism, implying judgment that is emphatic and often collective. Derived from Latin roots shared with words like damnation and damage, condemning has long been associated with legal and religious censure. In everyday use it appears most often in journalism, diplomacy, and law, wherever strong disapproval needs to be voiced clearly and on the record.
verbThe present participle of "condemn": expressing strong disapproval of someone or something, or officially declaring something to be unfit, guilty, or punishable.
- Expressing strong public disapproval or censure of someone or something.
- Officially declaring something unfit for use (as of a building or food) or sentencing someone to a punishment.
"The editorial was condemning the government's handling of the crisis in unusually blunt terms."
"World leaders were quick to issue statements condemning the attack."
"Inspectors spent the afternoon condemning several buildings deemed structurally unsafe."
When a judge condemns a building, it gets demolished — and when the world condemns an act, it's the verbal equivalent.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of condemning
Condemning derives from the Latin verb condemnaire (condemnare), formed from com- (an intensive prefix) plus dammare, "to inflict loss or doom," itself related to damnum, meaning loss or damage. The word entered English via Old French condempner in the medieval period, carrying both legal and religious senses of pronouncing guilt or ruin. Cognates include damnation and indemnify, all tracing back to the same Latin root damnum.
Related word forms
How condemning is actually used
Register is typically formal or official; "condemning" carries a strong, morally weighty connotation, stronger than ordinary criticism. As a gerund it can serve nominally ("the condemning of the building took weeks").
Easily confused with condemning
"Condensation" refers to water vapor turning into liquid, while "condemning" means expressing strong disapproval or declaring something guilty.