censor

noun

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cen·sor | \ ˈsen(t)-sər

Definition of censor

(Entry 1 of 2)

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 laxity— Colleen McCullough

3 : a hypothetical psychic agency that represses unacceptable notions before they reach consciousness

censor

verb

censored; censoring\ ˈsen(t)-sə-riŋ

, ˈsen(t)s-riŋ \

Definition of censor (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from censor Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About censor

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: Noun LinkedIn entered China in 2014 after agreeing to censor content on its site for misinformation and politically sensitive subjects, such as Taiwan. — Will Knight, Wired, 14 Oct. 2021 The move forced many feminists to self-censor or go underground. — Jane Li, Quartz, 20 Oct. 2021 There’s no feeling of a censor sitting on your shoulder. — Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2021 That hysteria serves as the backdrop to this first feature by Prano Bailey-Bond starring Niamh Algar as Enid, a censor troubled by a sleazy producer’s especially unpleasant horror movie — one that seems to be drawing on Enid’s own past. — Keith Phipps, Rolling Stone, 31 May 2021 Why would a major record company censor its own artist? — Tim Ingham, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2021 The move followed a crackdown by the Russian censor on tweets that helped mobilize opposition demonstrations, amid mass protests following Navalny’s imprisonment in February. — NBC News, 18 Sep. 2021 Apple, however, forwarded an Aug. 16 email from Roskomnadzor to a Navalny aide, urging him to contact the censor to resolve the matter, according to a copy of the communication obtained by The Washington Post. — Arkansas Online, 3 Sep. 2021 Through decrees, intimidation and physical assaults, newsrooms have lost staffers, had their voices subdued or been forced to self-censor. — Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Conservatives have also claimed that services deliberately censor their speech. — Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2021 South Korean officials who have attempted to censor the country’s artists have not been very successful. — New York Times, 3 Nov. 2021 Doug Pratt, a spokesperson for the Michigan Education Association, the union that represents educators across the state, wrote in a statement that the organization opposes the measure, calling it an attempt to censor teachers. — Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 2 Nov. 2021 Late last year, Mark Zuckerberg faced a choice: Comply with demands from Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party to censor anti-government dissidents or risk getting knocked offline in one of Facebook’s most lucrative Asian markets. — Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2021 Late last year, Mark Zuckerberg faced a choice: Comply with demands from Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party to censor anti-government dissidents or risk getting knocked offline in one of Facebook’s most lucrative Asian markets. — Elizabeth Dwoskin, Tory Newmyer, Shibani Mahtani, Anchorage Daily News, 25 Oct. 2021 Progressives censor opposing views via cancel culture; conservatives should stand up for free speech, open debate and religious liberty. — Bobby Jindal, WSJ, 17 Oct. 2021 Understanding this, the Left is trying to hector, bully, and censor its way toward establishing a ridiculous new conception of gender as a matter of personal choosing rather than biological fact. — The Editors, National Review, 16 Oct. 2021 Google left a year later after recognizing threats to its future there, not to mention attempts to censor and hack users’ accounts. — Lila Maclellan, Quartz, 14 Oct. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'censor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for censor

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