condemn
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to say publicly that you think something is very bad or wrong.
to express complete disapproval of something, typically in public; to censure or denounce on moral grounds.
Simple“The world leaders met to condemn the violent attacks on innocent civilians.”
In context“The international community was quick to condemn the regime's blatant disregard for human rights and democratic processes.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
to give a person a specific punishment in a court of law.
to pronounce a judicial sentence or verdict upon a person found guilty of a crime.
Simple“The murderer was condemned to life in prison without the chance of parole.”
In context“The defendant was condemned to death, though the execution was stayed pending a lengthy appeals process in the high court.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
to force someone to experience something very unpleasant or difficult.
to sentence or destine someone to a particular unhappy fate or set of circumstances.
Simple“His lack of education condemned him to a life of low-paid, difficult work.”
In context“The sudden collapse of the local industry condemned the entire town to a decade of economic depression and high unemployment.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
to officially state that a building or piece of equipment is not safe to use.
to declare a structure or piece of equipment to be officially unfit for use, often leading to its closure or destruction.
Simple“The old apartment block was condemned after the inspectors found serious cracks in the walls.”
In context“Following the earthquake, the city engineers condemned several historic buildings that were deemed structurally unsound and a risk to public safety.”
“A US official and an Israeli official said on Friday White House officials are pressing Netanyahu to publicly condemn the siege.”
“This may be especially true when demands to condemn Mangione appear to ignore inequities within an American health insurance system perceived as corrupt and unjust .”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.