critic

«critic» in Mova's school dictionary: a person whose job is to give opinions about films… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 4 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (a critic, critics); related: criticise (UK) / criticize (US), criticism, critical

meaning for a pupil

1) A critic is a person whose job is to give opinions about films, books, music, food, art or plays, often in newspapers, magazines or online. tree →

2) A critic is someone who says what they think is wrong or bad about a person, idea or plan: «critics of the new rule». tree →

3) (informal) «Everyone's a critic» is a joke said when someone complains about your work. tree →

sense in the lessons

In English lessons, pupils write reviews like a critic: give a star rating and reasons with evidence. In news and politics, critics argue against a decision, and fair reports give both supporters' and critics' views. Being critical can mean thinking carefully («critical thinking»), not only being negative. Phrases: «film critic», «food critic», «a harsh critic», «a fierce critic of», «your own worst critic».

examples

• The film critic gave the movie five stars. tree →
• A food critic visited our local restaurant. tree →
• Critics of the plan said it would cost too much. tree →
• Don't be your own worst critic — your drawing is good! tree →
• «Everyone's a critic!» laughed Dad when we didn't like his soup. tree →
• The book was loved by readers but not by critics. tree →

note

Plural «critics». Say KRIT-ik. Trap: «critic» is a person; «criticism» is what they say; «critique» (cri-TEEK) is a careful written judgement. «Critical» can also mean very serious («in a critical condition»).

In the corpora

• Critics and review sites give scores, but those are opinions, and your own taste may differ.
• Critics write reviews with reasons; you can read their reasons and still disagree, as taste is personal.
• Supporters say it restored order, critics say it cut freedoms; views are strongly divided.
• Answering the inner critic with "That's not true" and checking with the real person usually makes the voice quieter over weeks.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «critic» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.