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denunciatory

Like to play the blame game? Try the adjective denunciatory! Anything denunciatory reproaches someone or threatens to punish them. If you blame the mayor for your town’s woes, write a denunciatory editorial for the local paper.

This adjective comes from the verb denounce, "to declare to be wrong or evil," which originally simply meant "announce." The Latin root is denuntiare, "announce or proclaim." Denunciatory comments are often public — you point out bad stuff someone has done so other people will know and punish them for it. It’s not just for people – a denunciatory speech about plastic bags might make people stop using them, or at least it would make them aware of the downside.

Definitions of denunciatory
  1. adjective
    containing warning of punishment
    inculpative, inculpatory
    causing blame to be imputed to
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