animadvert, v.
(ˌænɪmədˈvɜːt)
[ad. L. animadvert-ĕre to turn the mind to, take notice of, orig. two words anim(um mind, advertĕre to turn to, f. ad to + vert-ĕre to turn. Through the sense of ‘take cognizance of’ it passed in judicial language to that of ‘chastise, or punish after examination.’]
† 1. trans. To turn the mind or attention to, pay attention or attend to, observe. Obs.
| 1637 Gillespie Eng.-Pop. Cer. iii. ii. 24 Which Theodosius..animadverting, commanded to pull them downe. 1673 Newton in Rigaud Corr. Sci. Men (1841) II. 353 The weak light..shall in comparison not be strong enough to be animadverted. 1679 M. Prance Add. Narr. 25, I shall onely Animadvert Two things. |
2. intr. To take note, observe, remark, consider, bethink oneself. Const. simply, and with that. arch.
| 1642 H. More Song of Soul (1647) 159/2, I cannot conceive the body doth animadvert. 1672 Marvell Reh. Transp. i. 163, I cannot but animadvert that this too lies open to his Dilemma. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones xv. v. (1840) 219 Animadvert that you are in the house of a great lady. 1837 Blackw. Mag. XLII. 235, I animadverted that all the oldest-looking shrivelled oak-apples..had contained pupæ. |
3. intr. To turn the attention officially or judicially, take legal cognizance of anything deserving of chastisement or censure; hence, to proceed by way of punishment or censure. arch.
| 1671 True Non-Conf. 12 If Israel was to animadvert with the sword against any city turning aside to Idolatrie. 1768 Blackstone Comm. II. 395 The law will animadvert hereon as an injury. 1771 J. Macpherson Introd. Hist. Gt. Brit. 290 They animadverted upon petty offenders with slighter punishments. 1817 Jas. Mill Brit. India III. ii. 69 It is for the tribunal before which he offends to animadvert upon his conduct. |
4. To comment critically (on), to utter criticism (usually of an adverse kind); to express censure or blame.
| 1665 Glanvill Sceps. Sci. 13, I see no reason why her modesty should..be so severely animadverted on. 1699 Bentley Phal. 29 The Examiner animadverts on it for ten Lines together. 1718 Pope Let. Wks. 1737 VI. 36 Your grace very justly animadverts against the too great disposition of finding faults. 1791 Sir J. Macintosh Vind. Gall. Wks. 1846 III. 92 To animadvert on this modest and courteous picture belongs not to the present subject. 1839 Hallam Hist. Lit. II. ii. vii. §22. 302 The academies began to animadvert on defects beyond the province of grammar. 1873 Goulburn Pers. Relig. i. 8 The state of things on which we have been animadverting. |