censorship

noun

cen·​sor·​ship ˈsen(t)-sər-ˌship 

1

a

: the institution, system, or practice of censoring

They oppose government censorship.

b

: the actions or practices of censors

especially : censorial control exercised repressively

censorship that has … permitted a very limited dispersion of facts

—Philip Wylie

2

: the office, power, or term of a Roman censor

3

: exclusion from consciousness by the psychic censor

Examples of censorship in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If a task can be performed in more than one way by equal peers working together—much in the way an ant colony or swarm of bees works—then the system is resistant to censorship and hardware faults and has service continuity due to economic sustainability. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

Amid heavy government censorship and widespread internet blackouts, many Iranians rely on VPNs and other tools to bypass restrictions and access the outside world. —Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025

But by the late 50s, the center of gravity of the TV industry had shifted to the West Coast, and Serling and his family moved with it, in part to escape network censorship and creative interference, and in part to be closer to (and part of) the production process. —Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2025

Many on the left — including in politics, the media, and academia — became unhinged with hatred for Musk for not only buying Twitter but exposing censorship and reenabling free-speech. —Douglas MacKinnon, Boston Herald, 14 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

censor entry 1 + -ship

First Known Use

circa 1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing censorship

• anti-censorship
• self-censorship

Rhymes for censorship

• authorship
• battleship
• chairmanship
• chieftainship
• comradeship
• consulship
• craftsmanship
• dealership
• draftsmanship
• fellowship
• fingertip
• internship

Kids Definition

censorship

noun

cen·​sor·​ship ˈsen(t)-sər-ˌship 

: the system or practice of censoring

Medical Definition

censorship

noun

cen·​sor·​ship ˈsen(t)-sər-ˌship 

: exclusion from consciousness by the psychic censor

Legal Definition

censorship

noun

cen·​sor·​ship

: the institution, system, or practice of censoring compare freedom of speech, prior restraint