Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Strong criticism.
- noun A critical or censorious remark.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The act or faculty of observing or noticing; observation; perception.
- noun The act of criticizing; criticism; censure; reproof.
- noun Synonyms Remark, comment, reprobation, reprehension.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun obsolete The act or power of perceiving or taking notice; direct or simple perception.
- noun obsolete Monition; warning.
- noun Remarks by way of criticism and usually of censure; adverse criticism; reproof; blame.
- noun Archaic Judicial cognizance of an offense; chastisement; punishment.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun countable A
criticism , a criticalremark . - noun uncountable The state or characteristic of being
animadversive .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun harsh criticism or disapproval
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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The steps for accelerating the Catholic emancipation passed without animadversion from the English Ministry; but the dismissal of Mr. Beresford, and his adherents, gave great of - fence to the Cabinet of London.
Peerage of England, genealogical, biographical, and historical 1812
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For centuries, women writers were sweepingly dismissed on the basis of gender, as in Nathaniel Hawthorne's notorious animadversion against the "damned mob of scribbling women" robbing him of the sales he felt he deserved.
Sarah Churchwell praises Elaine Showalter's judicious study of American women authors William Harryman 2009
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Of late, however, as the Protestant doctrines gained ground, he had found it convenient to live in close retirement, and to avoid, as much as possible, drawing upon himself observation or animadversion.
The Abbot 2008
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Reyberts, cut dead by the handsome Estelle, found themselves the objects of so much animadversion on the part of the adherents of the Moreaus that their position at Presles would not have been endurable without the thought of vengeance which had, so far, supported them.
A Start in Life 2007
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Even his comparison of St. Ignatius to Cæsar, and Xavier to Alexander, passed without animadversion; it was tolerated as a flower of rhetoric.
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That Charles the Fifth5 was crowned upon the day of his nativity, it being in his own power so to order it, makes no singular animadversion: but that he should also take King Francis6 prisoner upon that day, was an unexpected coincidence, which made the same remarkable.
Letter to a Friend 2007
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The story of Jaddus would be entitled to our respect — it would be beyond the reach of animadversion — were even any shadow of it to be found in the sacred writings; but as they do not make the slightest mention of it, we are quite at liberty to see that it is ridiculous.
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I am contented with my fortunes, spectator e longinquo, and love Neptunum procul a terra spectare furentem: he is ambitious, and not satisfied with his: but what [3944] gets he by it? to have all his life laid open, his reproaches seen: not one of a thousand but he hath done more worthy of dispraise and animadversion than commendation; no better means to help this than to be private.
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But, affecting as my own circumstances are, I cannot pass by, without animadversion, the reflection I need not repeat in words.
Clarissa Harlowe 2006
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I put them to mark the places which call for vengeance upon the vixen writer, or which require animadversion.
Clarissa Harlowe 2006
bilby commented on the word animadversion
"The paper took the view that it was just too much harping on the same string; in fact I was very well aware that my future as a columnist depended principally on my ability to entertain the couple under the Habitat duvet on a Sunday morning, and so I had interspersed my more bitter animadversions with frivolous columns about moped riding going knickerless. These, of course, were the only ones anyone ever remembered. 'Does Miss Greer's mind ever rise above her navel?' they used to ask. Such flightiness produced the now fixed idea that I was an architect of the permissive society."
- 'The Madwoman's Underclothes', Germaine Greer.
March 26, 2008
jmjarmstrong commented on the word animadversion
JM is adamant in his aversion to all versions of animadversion
December 10, 2010
Gammerstang commented on the word animadversion
(noun) - (1) Serious consideration or observation.
--Nathaniel Bailey's Etymological English Dictionary, 1749
(2) A taking notice of a fault with some degree of anger, severity, or dispatch.
--Daniel Fenning's Royal English Dictionary, 1775
(3) An observation made upon a book after duly examining into the merits of it.
--Thomas Dyche's New General English Dictionary, 1740
(4) Reproof; severe censure.
--John Walker's Critical Pronouncing Dictionary, 1835
January 16, 2018