Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

critical theory

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.55 in modern English

Syllables: crit-i-cal the-o-ry
IPA

24

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

5

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The examination and critique of society and literature, drawing from knowledge across social science and the humanities; (in particular) the original ideas developed by the Frankfurt School.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"I define critical theory as something broader than Critical Theory in the Frankfurt School usage but not unrelated to it. I use the term to designate the traditions of dialectical and self-reflective thought initiated during the historical moment of Kant and Hegel."
"[…]; if you do not know, or care to know, much about critical theory, the writings of Butler are academic in the unflattering sense of that term. But in their world, they are, if not royalty, lords of the realm."

Etymology

Calque of German kritische Theorie, first defined by Max Horkheimer in his 1937 essay “Traditional and Critical Theory”.

Usage

Uncountable

Phrases

critical race theory critical theorist

Questions

What does critical theory mean?: The examination and critique of society and literature, drawing from knowledge across social science and the humanities; (in particular) the original ideas developed by the Frankfurt School.
Where does critical theory come from?: Calque of German kritische Theorie, first defined by Max Horkheimer in his 1937 essay “Traditional and Critical Theory”.

How to pronounce critical theory

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