censor

1 of 2

noun

cen·​sor ˈsen(t)-sər How to pronounce censor (audio)
1
: a person who supervises conduct and morals: such as
a
: an official who examines materials (such as publications or films) for objectionable matter
Government censors deleted all references to the protest.
b
: an official (as in time of war) who reads communications (such as letters) and deletes material considered sensitive or harmful
2
: one of two magistrates of early Rome acting as census takers, assessors, and inspectors of morals and conduct
Cato the Censor accused Africanus and his senior officers of running an army riddled with moral laxityColleen McCullough
3
: a hypothetical psychic agency that represses unacceptable notions before they reach consciousness
censorial adjective

censor

2 of 2

verb

censored; censoring ˈsen(t)-sə-riŋ How to pronounce censor (audio)
ˈsen(t)s-riŋ

transitive verb

: to examine in order to suppress (see suppress sense 2) or delete anything considered objectionable
censor the news
also : to suppress or delete as objectionable
censor out indecent passages

Examples of censor in a Sentence

Noun Government censors deleted all references to the protest. Verb The station censored her speech before broadcasting it. His report was heavily censored.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The justice ordered the shutdown after months of conflict with Musk, who called the jurist authoritarian and a censor, despite de Moraes' rulings, including the suspension of X, being repeatedly upheld by the court. X ultimately complied with all of de Moraes' demands. David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 Khoury also managed to show The Substance and The Room Next Door in El Gouna and Cairo, which are unlikely to get past censors for a general release, with the latter title challenging local beliefs against euthanasia in largely Muslim Egypt. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
In a perfect world, there would be some logic to getting rid of the equal-time rule, and, quite frankly, the same FCC regulations that force networks to censor four-letter words that are ubiquitous on virtually every other form of media. Josef Adalian, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024 For Chris Hill, who runs operations for a commercial bathroom remodeling firm in nearby Mechanicsburg, Musk is taking a stand against cosmopolitan elites who want to censor his language and suppress his political views. Eric Cortellessa / Lancaster, TIME, 27 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for censor 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Latin cēnsor "Roman magistrate tasked with registering citizens, removing persons from the register whose conduct was found wanting, and leasing public contracts," from cēnsēre "to give as an opinion, assess, appraise, perform the duties of a censor" (going back to an Indo-European verbal base *ḱems- "announce, evaluate publicly," whence Sanskrit śaṁati "declares solemnly, praises," Avestan sənghaitī "announces, names") + -tor, agent suffix

Verb

derivative of censor entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1882, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of censor was in 1526

Dictionary Entries Near censor

Cite this Entry

“Censor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/censor. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

censor

1 of 2 noun
cen·​sor ˈsen(t)-sər How to pronounce censor (audio)
: an official who checks materials (as publications or movies) to take out things thought to be objectionable

censor

2 of 2 verb
censored; censoring ˈsen(t)s-(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce censor (audio)
: to examine in order to prevent publication or take out things thought to be objectionable
also : to delete things thought to be objectionable

Medical Definition

censor

noun
cen·​sor ˈsen(t)-sər How to pronounce censor (audio)
: a hypothetical psychic agency that represses unacceptable notions before they reach consciousness
censorial adjective

Legal Definition

censor

1 of 2 transitive verb
cen·​sor
: to examine (as a publication or film) in order to suppress or delete any contents considered objectionable

censor

2 of 2 noun
: one that censors

More from Merriam-Webster on censor

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