# condemn
## English
### Etymology

From Middle English condempnen, from Old French condamner, from Latin condemnāre (“to sentence, condemn, blame”), from com- + damnāre (“to harm, condemn, damn”), from damnum (“damage, injury, loss”). Displaced native Middle English fordemen (from Old English fordeman (“condemn, sentence, doom”) > Modern English fordeem.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /kənˈdɛm/
** (pin–pen merger) IPA: /kənˈdɪm/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛm

### Verb

condemn (third-person singular simple present condemns, present participle condemning, simple past and past participle condemned)
* (transitive) To strongly criticise or denounce; to excoriate.
    The president condemned the terrorists.
** 1722, William Wollaston, “Sect. V. Truths relating to the Deity. Of his exiſtence, perfection, providence, &c.”, in The Religion of Nature Delineated‎, page 81:Ignorant and ſuperſtitious wretches meaſure the actions of letterd and philoſophical men by the tattle of their nurſes or illiterate parents and companions, or by the faſhion of the country : and people of differing religions judge and condemn each other by their own tenents ; when both of them cannot be in the right, and it is well if either of them are.
* (transitive) To judicially pronounce (someone) guilty.
* (transitive) To judicially announce a verdict upon a finding of guilt; To sentence
    The judge condemned him to death.
    She was condemned to life in prison.
* (transitive) To confer eternal divine punishment upon.
* (transitive, figuratively) To destine to experience bad circumstances; to doom.
    Too many people are condemned to a life of poverty.
* (transitive) To declare something to be unfit for use, or further use.
** 1962 December, “Motive Power Miscellany: Western Region”, in Modern Railways, page 425:There was a massive slaughter of W.R. steam power at the conclusion of the summer timetable. In all, 169 locomotives were condemned.
** (transitive) To adjudge (a building) as being unfit for habitation.
    The house was condemned after it was badly damaged by fire.
** (transitive) To adjudge (building or construction work) as of unsatisfactory quality, requiring the work to be redone.
** (transitive) To adjudge (food or drink) as being unfit for human consumption.
** (transitive, law) To declare (a vessel) to be unfit for service.
* (transitive) To determine and declare (property) to be assigned to public use. See eminent domain.
* (transitive, law) To declare (a vessel) to be forfeited to the government or to be a prize.

#### Synonyms

* damn
* (to pronounce guilty): convict

#### Antonyms

* save
* (antonym(s) of “to pronounce guilty”): acquit

#### Derived terms

* condemnee
* condemner
* condemn to
* forecondemn
* precondemn
* recondemn
* uncondemn

#### Related terms

* condemnable
* condemnation

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Further reading

* “condemn”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
* William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “condemn”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
* “condemn”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.