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Prepositions after verbs

Condemn to or condemn by?

Condemn to is the standard pattern for sentencing or causing someone to suffer something. Condemn by is not normally a fixed combination after condemn.

Quick answer

Which preposition follows condemn?

Use condemn to when someone is sentenced or forced into an unpleasant condition. Condemn by is usually incorrect as a direct pattern after condemn, although by may introduce the method in a passive sentence.

The court condemned him to life imprisonment.
Poor planning condemned the project to failure.
The policy was condemned by several experts.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
condemn to + punishment

Sentencing someone

Use condemn to for legal punishment or official sentencing.

The judge condemned her to ten years in prison.
The rebels were condemned to death.
2
condemn to + negative state

Causing an unhappy result

Condemn to can also mean causing someone or something to face a bad outcome.

The mistake condemned the team to defeat.
The cuts condemned many families to poverty.
3
condemn by + agent

Using by in passive clauses

By can name the person or group expressing condemnation, but it is not a fixed complement after condemn.

The proposal was condemned by environmental groups.
The actions were condemned by the international community.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
condemn to
They condemned him to exile.
sentence or force someone into a condition
condemn by
The decision was condemned by voters.
by introduces the agent in a passive sentence, not a fixed verb pattern
condemn for
She condemned the company for fraud.
state the reason for criticism
condemn as
The report was condemned as misleading.
describe how something is judged

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using condemn by as an active pattern

Condemn by is not normally used directly after the active verb condemn.

✕ They condemned by the committee the proposal. ✓ The proposal was condemned by the committee.

Confusing condemn to with criticize

Condemn to refers to punishment or negative consequences, not simple criticism.

✕ She condemned him to his rude comments. ✓ She condemned him for his rude comments.

Leaving out the object after condemn to

Condemn to usually needs a person or thing before the preposition.

✕ The court condemned to prison. ✓ The court condemned the offender to prison.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The error condemned the company ___ heavy losses.
2. The policy was condemned ___ human rights groups.
3. The judge condemned the criminal ___ twenty years in prison.

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Frequently asked questions

Is condemn by ever correct?

Yes, in passive sentences such as “The action was condemned by critics.” Here by introduces the agent.

What does condemn to mean?

It means sentence someone to punishment or cause someone to suffer an unpleasant condition.

Can condemn be followed by for?

Yes. Condemn for gives the reason for criticism, as in “They condemned him for corruption.”

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