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

The report collected data on book banning and censorship from the 2024-2025 school year. —Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025

As public schools across the United States face heightened censorship and the threat of funding losses for noncompliance, school yearbooks remind us that there is nothing new about political censorship in schools. —Literary Hub, 25 Nov. 2025

Opponents answer that this is censorship by relabeling. —Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025

Milton argued that government licensing was a form of censorship and that truth arises through contest and open debate. —Richard Stengel, Time, 24 Nov. 2025

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