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

Pro-Kremlin politicians accuse the West of trying to destabilise Russia and say that some censorship is necessary to safeguard national unity at a time when Moscow is locked in an existential struggle with Ukraine and the West. — Reuters, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026

Faculty should have the freedom to teach, students should have the freedom to learn, and both should have the freedom to question assumptions, challenge viewpoints and share competing ideas without fear of censorship or reproach. — Daniel Diermeier, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Shapiro, who was born in the US but lives in Spain, has since taken legal action with the aid of Avant-Garde Lawyers (AGL), a group specializing in cases involving creative censorship. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 31 July 2026

That’s how the public is able to hold government accountable, and accountability is crucial to the fight for democracy and against censorship and authoritarianism. — Heather Hendershot, The Conversation, 31 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

censor entry 1 + -ship

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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