Word: condemnation

Associations

Condemnation refers to the expression of strong disapproval or the action of declaring something as wrong or evil. It often involves a strong statement or judgment about a person’s actions or a situation.

• Example 1: A public condemnation of a politician’s actions can lead to a loss of support. (Here, the politician is criticized publicly for their actions.)
• Example 2: The court's condemnation of the criminal resulted in a lengthy prison sentence. (In this case, the court declares the criminal's actions as wrong and punishes them.)
• Example 3: There was widespread condemnation of the company’s unethical practices. (This shows that many people disapprove of the company's actions.)

A well-known synonym for condemnation is "censure." While both mean disapproval, condemnation is often more severe and can imply legal or formal judgment, whereas censure is often used in less formal situations.

Substitution

Some alternatives to "condemnation" include:

• Censure: This implies a formal expression of disapproval but is often less severe than condemnation.
• Denunciation: This emphasizes declaring something publicly wrong, but can have a more aggressive tone.
• Reprimand: This is usually a more mild form of disapproval, often used to correct someone in a personal or professional context.

Deconstruction

The word "condemnation" comes from the Latin root "condemnare," where "con-" means "together" and "damnare" means "to harm" or "to declare guilty." This structure suggests a gathering of voices or opinions together to declare something as wrong.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you saw or experienced condemnation in your life? What was the situation?
• How do you feel when someone is condemned publicly? Is it different if it's a private disapproval?
• In what areas of life (politics, personal relationships, etc.) do you think condemnation is most common? Why?