ENGLISH
REFERENCE

condemn

v.
C1 Advanced Oxford US //kənˈdɛm// UK //kəndˈɛm// con·demn

v. to say very strongly that you think something is bad or wrong. It is often used by leaders or in news reports to criticize a crime or a mean action.

v. to express complete disapproval of something, typically in public; to censure severely on moral or legal grounds. Often used in political or judicial contexts to signal official opposition.


SIMPLE

The world leaders met to condemn the recent violence.

CONTEXTUAL

The local community was quick to condemn the vandalism of the historic library.

COMPLEX

While the committee was expected to condemn the breach of ethics, their final report was surprisingly mild, leading to public outcry and demands for a more rigorous investigation.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English condempnen, from Old French condamner, from Latin condemnāre (“to sentence, condemn, blame”), from com- + damnāre (“to harm, condemn, damn”), from damnum (“damage, injury, loss”). Displaced native Middle English fordemen (from Old English fordeman (“condemn, sentence, doom”) > Modern English fordeem.

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. It is frequently followed by the preposition 'for' to indicate the reason for the disapproval.

Pitfall

They condemned about his behaviorThey condemned his behaviorCondemn is a transitive verb and does not require a preposition before the object.

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