1 B2 formal
To officially sentence someone to a punishment by legal authority.
"The court condemned him to fifteen years in prison for his crimes."
inseparable
condemn to
B2 formal inseparable transitive
To officially sentence someone to a punishment, or to cause someone to experience a harsh or unpleasant fate.
In plain English
To force someone to suffer a punishment or an unpleasant situation, either officially or by circumstance.
What does "condemn to" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To cause someone to suffer or experience an unpleasant situation or fate, often through circumstances beyond their control.
"Growing up in poverty condemned many of them to a cycle of debt from which they could not escape."
“
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
— George Santayana, 'The Life of Reason', 1905
inseparable
Usage tip
Used both in legal contexts (a judge condemns someone to prison) and figuratively (poverty condemned them to a life of hardship). The figurative use is very common in journalism and literature. Often carries a strong sense of injustice.
Words that pair with "condemn to"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
death life poverty exile failure obscurity
How to conjugate "condemn to"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
condemn to
I/you/we/they
3rd person
condemns to
he/she/it
Past simple
condemned to
yesterday
Past participle
condemned to
have + pp
-ing form
condemning to
continuous
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