Webster's English Dictionary

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criticism

crit.i.cism \'krit-*-.siz-*m\ n 1a: the act of criticizing usu. unfavorably 
    1b: a critical observation or remark  1c: CRITIQUE  2: the art of 
   evaluating or analyzing with knowledge and propriety esp. wor ks of art or 
   literature 3: the scientific investigation of literary documents (as the 
   Bible) in reg ard to such matters as origin, text, composition, character, 
   or history