animadversion: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2 / Very Low FrequencyFormal, Literary, Archaic in some uses.
Quick answer
What does “animadversion” mean?
Strong criticism or censure.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Strong criticism or censure; a critical or censorious remark.
The act of criticizing or passing judgment, especially with disapproval. Can also refer to judicial notice or observation in legal contexts, but this is archaic.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The word is equally rare and formal in both varieties.
Connotations
Formality, severity of criticism, sometimes pedantry. Its rarity can make its use sound deliberately archaic or erudite.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. Possibly slightly more likely to be encountered in British academic or literary prose due to a higher tolerance for archaic Latinate vocabulary.
Grammar
How to Use “animadversion” in a Sentence
animadversion(s) on/upon [something]animadversion from [source]to be the subject of animadversionVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “animadversion” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The columnist never ceased to animadvert upon the government's fiscal irresponsibility.
American English
- The editorial animadverted sharply on the senator's conflict of interest.
adverb
British English
- N/A - No standard adverb form exists.
American English
- N/A - No standard adverb form exists.
adjective
British English
- N/A - The adjective 'animadversive' is listed but is exceptionally rare.
American English
- N/A - The adjective 'animadversive' is listed but is exceptionally rare.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Rarely used in formal literary criticism, philosophy, or historical texts to describe scholarly critique.
Everyday
Never used.
Technical
Obsolete in legal contexts.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “animadversion”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “animadversion”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “animadversion”
- Using it as a synonym for a simple 'observation'.
- Misspelling: 'animadvercion', 'animadvertion'.
- Using it in informal contexts where it sounds unnatural.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a very low-frequency, formal word rarely encountered outside advanced literary or academic texts.
The verb is 'animadvert' (to comment critically with disapproval), which is equally formal and rare.
Almost never. Its core meaning is critical and censorious. Any positive connotation would be highly unusual and context-dependent.
'Animadversion' is a more formal, severe, and specific type of criticism, implying strong disapproval and fault-finding. 'Criticism' is a broader, more neutral term.
Strong criticism or censure.
Animadversion is usually formal, literary, archaic in some uses. in register.
Animadversion: in British English it is pronounced /ˌænɪmædˈvɜːʃ(ə)n/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌænəmædˈvɜːrʒ(ə)n/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to draw animadversion upon oneself”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'ANIMAL version'. Imagine a harsh critic giving a 'bad review' of an animal documentary, making severe 'animadversions' about its accuracy.
Conceptual Metaphor
CRITICISM IS A WEAPON / CRITICISM IS A BURDEN ('he was weighed down by their constant animadversions').
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the word 'animadversion' be LEAST appropriate?