condemned
UK: kənˈdɛmd | US: kənˈdɛmd
adj. officially declared to be wrong or evil
adj. (of a building) judged unfit for use
vt. past tense of "condemn": to express strong disapproval of
vt. (legal) sentenced to punishment, especially death
The word "condemn" traces back to Latin condemnare, combining con- (intensive prefix) and damnare (to inflict loss/harm, from damnum "damage"). The morpheme demn preserves the core idea of harm, while con- adds collective force (e.g., group judgment). Over time, "condemn" evolved from literal legal sentencing (Old French condempner) to broader moral disapproval in English. The -ed suffix marks its participle/adjectival form.
The condemned prisoner awaited execution.
The building was condemned after the earthquake.
She condemned the violence in her speech.
His actions were universally condemned as unethical.
The jury condemned the defendant to life imprisonment.