An obsolete or variant spelling of 'criticize,' meaning to judge, evaluate, or find fault with something or someone.
From Greek kritikos (able to judge) derived from krinein (to separate, judge). The -ize suffix comes from Greek -izein. This variant spelling reflects older English orthographic conventions before standardization.
This abandoned spelling shows how English spelling has evolved—we standardized on 'criticize' with a hard 'c' sound, but etymologically, the Greek root suggested the softer variant that some people still write.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.