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s and faults of a literary performance, or of a production in the fine arts; as, dramatic criticism. The elements ofcriticism depend on the two principles of Beauty and Truth, one of which is the final end or object of study in every one of its pursuits: Beauty, in letters and the arts; Truth, in history and sciences.…

Criticism which includes the study of the contents, literary character, date, authorship, etc., of any writing; as, the higher criticism of the Pentateuch. Called also historical criticism.

Excessive criticism, or unjust severity or rigor of criticism; zoilism.

The form of Neo-Kantianism developed by French idealists, following C. Renouvier. It rejects the noumena of Kant, restricting knowledge to phenomena as constituted by a priori categories.

The art of interpreting dreams.

Remarks by way of criticism and usually of censure; adverse criticism; reproof; blame. He dismissed their commissioners with severe and sharp animadversions. Clarendon.

To consider or remark by way of criticism or censure; to express censure; -- with on or upon. I should not animadvert on him . . . if he had not used extreme severity in his judgment of the incomparable Shakespeare. Dryden.

Severely criticism.

writing; to begin a controversy with; to attempt to overthrow or bring into disrepute, by criticism or satire; to censure; as, to attack a man, or his opinions, in a pamphlet.

Corrective punishment; chastisement; reproof; pungent criticism. The keenest castigation of her slanderers. W. Irving.

to cavil; finding fault without good reason. See Captious. His depreciatory and caviling criticism. Lewis.

To make remarks, observations, or criticism; especially, to write notes on the works of an author, with a view to illustrate his meaning, or to explain particular passages; to write annotations; -- often followed by on or upon. A physician to comment on your malady. Shak. Critics . . . proceed to comment on him. Dryden…

erfeits are fabricated with such exquisite taste and skill, that it is the achievement of criticism to distinguish them from originals. Macaulay.

The art of criticism. [Obs.] Locke.

Pertaining to criticism or the critic's art; of the nature of a criticism; accurate; as, critical knowledge; a critical dissertation.

The art of criticism. [Written also critic.] [R.]

) To damage or destroy; to injure; to wound; as, to cut up a book or its author by severe criticism. "This doctrine cuts up all government by the roots." Locke. (c) To afflict; to discourage; to demoralize; as, the death of his friend cut him up terribly. [Colloq.] Thackeray.

To analyze, for the purposes of science or criticism; to divide and examine minutely. This paragraph . . . I have dissected for a sample. Atterbury.

rrect; esp., to make corrections in (a literary work); to alter for the better by textual criticism, generally verbal.

Alteration by editorial criticism, as of a text so as to give a better reading; removal of errors or corruptions from a document; as, the book might be improved by judicious emendations.