Other forms: criticized, criticizing, criticizes
To criticize is to point out what is wrong with something. Criticize the plan, heavily criticized, criticize him for it.
This is the American spelling; British English accepts both criticize and criticise. The construction is criticize somebody for something. Note that criticism has two quite different meanings — fault-finding, and the serious analysis of art and literature, which is what a literary critic does — and that constructive criticism is the phrase people use immediately before saying something unwelcome. Note critique, which is analysis rather than complaint.
1verbcriticizeTo point out what is wrong with something.
“It's easy to criticize, but could you do any better?”
synonyms: criticise, find fault with
criticize is a finding of fault.
Also accepted in games: criticise
Greek kritikos means able to judge, from krinein, to separate or decide — the same root as crisis and criterion. A critic is a judge, and the fault-finding is an English narrowing.
Proto-Indo-European
*krey-
Ancient Greek
κριτικός — of or for judging, able to discern
English, today
criticize
Built from
From critic + -ize; first element from Ancient Greek κριτικός (“of or for judging, able to discern”), from κρίσις (“decision, judgement”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA