animadvert

From Latin animadvertō, from Latin animum (“mind”) (accusative singular of animus (“mind; soul; life force”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁mos (“breath”), from *h₂enh₁- (“to breathe”)) + Latin advertō (“to turn to”) (from Latin ad- (“to”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd (“at; near”) + Latin vertō (“to turn”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wértti (“to be turning around”)).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌænɪmədˈvɜːt/

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• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌænɪmədˈvɝt/
• Hyphenation: ani‧mad‧vert

animadvert (third-person singular simple present animadverts, present participle animadverting, simple past and past participle animadverted)

1. (intransitive) To criticise, to censure.
   • 1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 58:

     Sir Walter has been duly animadverted on for this dangerous error by the erudite Mr. Todd.

   • 1897, Henry James, chapter XVI, in What Maisie Knew, Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y.: Herbert S. Stone & Co., →OCLC, page 207:

     "Her" of course at Beale Farange's had never meant any one but Ida, and there was the difference in this case that it now meant Ida with renewed intensity. Mrs. Beale was in a position strikingly to animadvert more and more upon her dreadfulness, the moral of all which appeared to be how abominably yet blessedly little she had to do with her husband.

   • 1922, [Edward Sapir], “Gilbert Murray, Tradition and Progress. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1922 .”, in Scofield Taylor, editor, The Dial, volume 73, New York, N.Y.: Dial Pub. Co., →OCLC, page 355; reprinted in “Review of Gilbert Murray, Tradition and Progress”, in Regna Darnell and Judith T. Irvine, editors, The Collected Works of Edward Sapir, volume III (Culture), Berlin, London: Mouton de Gruyter, Walter de Gruyter, 1999, →ISBN, page 766:

     Professor [Gilbert] Murray oscillates rather comfortably between optimism and despair, makes the usual high-souled march along the smooth ridge of English liberalism, animadverts feelingly on the elements of wickedness and goodness in contemporary politics, and is careful to put in the parentheses needed to prevent a charge of excessive radicalism.

   • 1929, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, When the World Screamed‎:

     It was a perfectly civil business note, but it began with the phrase: 'Your letter (undated) has been received.' This drew a second epistle from the Professor: Sir, he said and his writing looked like a barbed-wire fence - I observe that you animadvert upon the trifle that my letter was undated.

2. (intransitive, obsolete) To consider.
   • 1726, Terræ Filius [pseudonym; Nicholas Amherst], “”, in Terræ-Filius: Or, the Secret History of the University of Oxford; in Several Essays. To which are Added, Remarks upon a Late Book, Entitled, University Education, by R. Newton, D.D. Principal of Hart-Hall. In Two Volumes, 2nd edition, volume I, London: Printed for R. Francklin, under Tom's Coffee-House, in Russel-Street, Covent-Garden, →OCLC, page xi:

     […] I am daily advertiſed by ſeveral friends and correſpondents from Oxford, that I have omitted many particulars, which it is proper to animadvert upon, in order to compleat the Secret Hiſtory of that place; and I have therefore, in compliance with their requeſt, reſolved to reſume this work, and continue to publiſh ſome part of it every Act-Term, till the whole is finiſhed, and the ſubject fully exhauſted: […]

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter V, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume V, London: A Millar, , →OCLC, book XV, page 226:

     [H]e had probably committed Violence with his Hands, had not the Parſon interpoſed, ſaying, 'For Heaven's Sake, Sir, animadvert that you are in the Houſe of a great Lady.[']

   • 1812 January 31, Spencer Perceval, Chancellor of the Exchequer, “Motion Respecting Police Magistrates”, in T[homas] C[urson] Hansard, editor, The Parliamentary Debates from the Year 1803 to the Present Time: Forming a Continuation of the Work Entitled “The Parliamentary History of England from the Earliest Period to the Year 1803.”, volume XXI, London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown [et al.], →OCLC, column 488:

     But there was the greatest degree of harshness and injustice in the manner in which the conduct of the magistrates upon that occasion was animadverted upon by that House.

3. (intransitive, law, archaic) To turn judicial attention (to); to criticise or punish.
   • 1837, “Law Proceedings”, in The Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle, for 1837. A Journal of Papers on Subjects Connected with Maritime Affairs, London: Simpkin, Marshall, and Co., Stationers' Hall Court, →OCLC, page 269:

     The learned judge animadverted with great severity upon the behaviour of Mr. Young, the cabin passenger, who went out on board the vessel as agent and supercargo, to protect the interests of the shippers, and who, on the outward voyage, conducted himself with great impropriety towards the master; […]

   • 1853 October 1, “Art. I. State of Lunacy in England.”, in Forbes Winslow, editor, The Journal of Psychological Medicine and Mental Pathology, volume VI, number XXIV, London: John Churchill, Princes Street, Soho, →OCLC, pages 475–476:

     [T]he attention of the Board in New-street, Spring-gardens, was in vain called to the petinacious obstinacy of these justices, until, wearied with official correspondence, and "having no reasonable expectation," they state, "that any steps would be taken by the committee of visiting justices to the remedy of the manifest defects," upon which they had animadverted, they inform us that they had recourse to the dernier ressort—an appeal to the Secretary of State […]