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, 20% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

3

: count, tally

a census of deer in a game refuge

census transitive verb

Synonyms of census

• 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

Lally was just 5 years old when census enumerators came to the family farm in 1926. —Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026

The city, which has grown 61% in the last decade, is now majority minority with census data showing the population as 46% white, 34% Asian, 10% Latino and 10% Black. —Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

New census data estimates over 41% of the nation’s 3,144 counties experienced outright population declines between 2020 and 2025. —Christopher Briem, The Conversation, 12 June 2026

The department's order could be revoked before the 2030 census, under a new presidential administration. —Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 12 June 2026

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

circa 1628, 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)