Critique
Etymology
From Greek "kritikē (tekhnē)" (the art of judgment), from "kritēs" (judge) and "krinein" (to separate, decide), via French "critique." The root is discernment — the ability to sort good from bad by clear standards — not fault-finding.
noun · /krih-TEEK/
A detailed, reasoned assessment of a work or idea, weighing its strengths and weaknesses.
What it names
Analysis rather than attack — evaluation aimed at understanding — which is why it survives in scholarship where "criticism" has soured.
Example
Her critique of the proposal spent as many pages on what worked as on what didn’t.
Related idea
A critique is a balanced, reasoned evaluation by explicit standards; casual criticism often means simple disapproval or fault-finding — every critique is critical, but not every criticism is a critique.
verb · /krih-TEEK/
To assess a work or idea in detail, weighing its strengths and weaknesses.
What it names
the act of evaluating critically
Example
The writing group met weekly to critique one another’s drafts.
Related idea
To critique honestly sometimes means playing devil’s advocate — pressing on the weak points you would rather overlook.