censorship

noun

cen·​sor·​ship ˈsen(t)-sər-ˌship How to pronounce censorship (audio)
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 This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing to examine book bans and censorship in various U.S. states that focused on LGBTQ+ books, ultimately deciding that book bans are the state’s responsibility. Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2023 VPNs used to circumvent online censorship are costly and imperfect. Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023 As a debate over censorship and book bans raged in front of the Carroll County Board of Education, security turned dozens of attendees away from an already full room Wednesday night. Dillon Mullan, Baltimore Sun, 13 Sep. 2023 Calls for censorship started in July, when the Media and Democracy Project filed a petition with the FCC to deny the license renewal of WTXF-TV, a Philadelphia Fox affiliate. David Voorman, National Review, 11 Sep. 2023 Apple also complies with Chinese regulations on censorship and data security, including storing the personal data of its Chinese customers in domestic data centers. Bynicholas Gordon, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2023 Needless to say, none of what the ADL does amounts to censorship, nor does the organization have any control over X’s moderation policies. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2023 Experts say the incident speaks to a growing concern about censorship in the country. Brahmjot Kaur, NBC News, 25 Aug. 2023 He was elected to the political council of a regional branch of the movement and talked about problems of corruption and censorship in Russia, calling for a return to democracy and an investigation into officials under the leadership of then-president Dmitry Medvedev. Matt Burgess, WIRED, 30 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'censorship.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

censor entry 1 + -ship

First Known Use

circa 1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of censorship was circa 1591

Dictionary Entries Near censorship

Cite this Entry

“Censorship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/censorship. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

censorship

noun
cen·​sor·​ship ˈsen(t)-sər-ˌship How to pronounce censorship (audio)
: the system or practice of censoring

Medical Definition

censorship

noun
cen·​sor·​ship ˈsen(t)-sər-ˌship How to pronounce censorship (audio)
: 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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