Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To express disapproval to (someone); criticize: synonym: admonish.
  • transitive verb To express disapproval about (something).

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To disapprove; condemn; censure.
  • To charge with a fault; chide; reprehend: formerly sometimes with of.
  • To convince, as of a fault; convict.
  • To refute; disprove.
  • Synonyms and Rebuke, Reprimand, etc. See censure and admonition.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb obsolete To convince.
  • transitive verb obsolete To disprove; to refute.
  • transitive verb To chide to the face as blameworthy; to accuse as guilty; to censure.
  • transitive verb To express disapprobation of.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb take to task

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English reproven, from Anglo-Norman repruver, variant of Old French reprover, from Late Latin reprobāre, to disapprove; see reprobate.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Anglo-Norman reprover, Middle French reprouver, from Latin reprobāre.

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