To express disapproval of something or to criticize severely. In legal contexts, to sentence someone to punishment or to declare a building unsafe for use.
From Latin condemnare, from con- 'completely' plus damnare 'to inflict loss or damage'. Originally a legal term meaning to pronounce judgment against someone, later extending to moral disapproval and property declarations.
When a building is 'condemned,' it's receiving the same linguistic treatment as a criminal - the word comes from Roman legal proceedings! Interestingly, the related word 'damn' was considered so powerful that it was one of the first profanity words, because it literally meant to condemn someone's soul.
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