census

noun

cen·​sus ˈsen(t)-səs 

1

: a count of the population and a property evaluation in early Rome

2

: a usually complete enumeration of a population

specifically : a periodic governmental enumeration of population

According to the latest U.S census, 16% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

3

: count, tally

a census of deer in a game refuge

census transitive verb

Synonyms

• count
• tally

Examples of census in a Sentence

According to the latest census, the racial makeup of the town has changed dramatically in the last 50 years.

a thorough census of all the grizzly bears living within the national park

Recent Examples on the Web

The average age to become a new parent in Britain was, at the time of the 2021 census, 29 years old, meaning the parents of Gen Alpha children will likely be highly—but not exclusively—concentrated among the 35 to 44 age group with chunks in the age ranges on either side. —Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025

As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of about 7,700 people. —Kristen Jordan Shamus, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025

Neighbors worry a data center would create high-skilled jobs out of reach for residents in the predominantly Black area, where only about 11% of residents earn a degree beyond high school, according to the 2023 census. —Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 25 Sep. 2025

But redistricting normally occurs only once every 10 years, after a census produces new population figures. —Craig Gilbert, jsonline.com, 25 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin cēnsus, from cēnsēre "to give as an opinion, assess, appraise, perform the duties of a censor" + -tus, suffix of verbal action — more at censor entry 1

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing census

• census clause

Rhymes for census

• amanuensis
• melitensis
• consensus

Kids Definition

census

noun

cen·​sus ˈsen(t)-səs 

: a counting of the population (as of a country, city, or town) and a gathering of related statistics done by a government every so often

Legal Definition

census

noun

cen·​sus

: a usually complete count of a population (as of a state)

especially : a periodic governmental count of a population that usually includes social and economic information (as occupations, ages, and incomes)