condemn
kuhn-DEM
/kənˈdem/
To express complete disapproval of; to censure severely; to sentence to a particular punishment.
Condemn is absolute and final. It declares something to be completely wrong, evil, or unusable. It leaves no room for compromise or improvement.
The story behind the word. Condemn comes from the Latin 'condemnare', which combines the intensive prefix 'con-' with 'damnare' (to damage, doom, or find guilty). It entered English in the 13th century, carrying both the legal sense of sentencing a criminal and the moral sense of declaring something evil.
Word relationships
- denounce: Denounce is a public accusation of evil, while condemn is the actual judgment or declaration of that evil as a final fact.
- sentence: Sentence is strictly a legal term for declaring a punishment, whereas condemn can be used for moral, structural, or legal judgments.
- condone: Condone is to accept or allow morally wrong behavior to continue, which is the opposite of actively condemning it.
Commonly confused with
- censure: Censure is a formal reprimand of a person's behavior, while condemn is a total declaration of something (an act, a building, a person) as completely bad or doomed.
Word family
- condemnation (noun): The expression of very strong disapproval; censure.
- condemnatory (adjective): Expressing strong disapproval.
Collocations
- strongly condemn
- condemn to death
- universally condemned
Example sentences
- "The United Nations met to condemn the unprovoked military invasion." An international response to violence.
- "The city inspectors had to condemn the old apartment building due to toxic mold and structural damage." A building declared unsafe.
Memory hook
Think of a 'con' (convict) who is 'demned' (damned) to prison. The judge has 'condemned' him. A con is condemned to his fate.
When not to use
Do not use for minor, temporary mistakes that can be easily fixed; it is too heavy and dramatic.
Fun facts
- When a building is 'condemned', it doesn't just mean it is ugly; it is a legal declaration that the structure is so dangerous that entering it is a crime.
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