'critique' originates from French, specifically the word 'critique', where the French term came from Latin and ultimately Greek roots; the Greek root 'kritikos' (κρῖτικός) derived from 'krinein' (κρίνειν) meant 'to judge' or 'to decide'.

'critique' changed from French 'critique' (borrowed into English in the 17th–18th centuries) and was influenced by Latin 'criticus' and Greek 'kritikos', eventually becoming the modern English 'critique'.

Initially, related forms meant 'skilled in judgment' or 'pertaining to judging'; over time the term evolved to mean 'a judgment or evaluation' and then specifically 'a detailed critical review' in modern usage.