censure

1 of 2

noun

cen·​sure ˈsen(t)-shər How to pronounce censure (audio)
1
: a judgment involving condemnation
unorthodox practices awaiting the censure of the city council
2
: the act of blaming or condemning sternly
The country faces international censure for its alleged involvement in the assassination.
3
: an official reprimand
The lawyer's misconduct resulted in a letter of censure from the judge.
4
archaic : opinion, judgment

censure

2 of 2

verb

censured; censuring ˈsen(t)-sh(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce censure (audio)

transitive verb

1
a
: to find fault with and criticize as blameworthy
She would tell him it was … no sign of a good pastor to be eternally censuring his flock.Charlotte Brontë
b
: to formally reprimand (someone) : to express official censure of (someone)
While a vote to censure the president has no legal ramifications, it is a significant and rare symbolic vote of disapproval.Emma Loop
2
obsolete : estimate, judge
censurer noun

Did you know?

Censure Has an Offical Connotation

If you’re among those who confuse censure and censor, we don’t blame you. The two words are notably similar in spelling and pronunciation, and both typically imply acts of authority. It’s no surprise that they share a common ancestor: the Latin cēnsēre, meaning “to give as an opinion.” But here’s the uncensored truth: despite the similarities, censure and censor are wholly distinct in meaning. Censure means “to fault or reprimand,” often in an official way; censor means “to suppress or delete as objectionable.” So if you’re talking about removing objectionable content from a book or banning it from a library, the word you want is censor. And you can use censure to talk about criticizing, condemning, or reprimanding those pushing for censorship.

Choose the Right Synonym for censure

criticize, reprehend, censure, reprobate, condemn, denounce mean to find fault with openly.

criticize implies finding fault especially with methods or policies or intentions.

criticized the police for using violence

reprehend implies both criticism and severe rebuking.

reprehends the self-centeredness of today's students

censure carries a strong suggestion of authority and of reprimanding.

a Senator formally censured by his peers

reprobate implies strong disapproval or firm refusal to sanction.

reprobated his son's unconventional lifestyle

condemn usually suggests an unqualified and final unfavorable judgment.

condemned the government's racial policies

denounce adds to condemn the implication of a public declaration.

a pastoral letter denouncing abortion

Examples of censure in a Sentence

Noun The country faces international censure for its alleged involvement in the assassination. a rare censure of a senator by the full United States Senate for misconduct Verb He was censured by the committee for his failure to report the problem. a vote to censure the President for conduct that was unbecoming to his office
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
No action was taken on the censure effort after the raucous four hour meeting, via Jenavieve Hatch. Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 20 Feb. 2024 Within the news media, these types of censures are seen, by the people and institutions who perform them, as a necessary bit of housekeeping—a way of projecting a type of objectivity. Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2023 The lawsuit comes as the port is trying to turn the corner from the turmoil surrounding Naranjo’s censure, an unprecedented action that stirred up public animus between the agency and the commissioner’s most ardent supporters. Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2024 Three of these censures have happened in 2023 under this GOP majority. Lauren Peller, ABC News, 7 Dec. 2023 The 118th Congress handed down its first censure in June, condemning California Rep. Adam Schiff for his role in leading President Donald Trump's first impeachment hearings years prior. Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 7 Dec. 2023 When public comment about the censure was over, Holt and Ross engaged in a heated back-and-forth. Jenavieve Hatch, Sacramento Bee, 15 Feb. 2024 The censure is not an effort to censor Dan Quirk, council members said. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Dec. 2023 The House voted to table -- or kill -- the censure resolution 222-186 with 23 Republicans voting with Democrats. Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 1 Nov. 2023
Verb
Democrats even proposed censuring Zimmerman Smith during a packed party leadership meeting in February. Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 Related article Largest survey of transgender people in the US reveals key insights at a time when trans rights are under attack The governor later signed the resolution censuring Cline. Raja Razek, CNN, 16 Feb. 2024 By Raja Razek | CNN Utah’s State Legislature has voted to censure a state board of education member whose social media post last week appeared to raise questions about a high school girl’s gender. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2024 Both legislative chambers passed a resolution condemning and censuring Utah State Board of Education member Natalie Cline. USA TODAY, 16 Feb. 2024 In addition to being censured, Cline will be stripped of her committee assignments, prohibited from attending the board’s advisory committee meetings and forbidden from placing items on the board’s agenda, the board said. Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 15 Feb. 2024 Still, the school board president, Greg Holt wanted to censure Ross. Jenavieve Hatch, Sacramento Bee, 15 Feb. 2024 Surprising Fact In an interview with NPR in 2021 after North Carolina Republicans censured Burr, Whatley expressed his support for Trump and disagreed that the ex-president had any role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, putting the blame directly on the rioters. Alison Durkee, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 The civil suit is an outgrowth of the tense, Oct. 10 Port of San Diego board meeting where Commissioner Naranjo was unanimously censured by her peers for misconduct. Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'censure.' 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

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French censure, borrowed from Latin cēnsūa "office of censor, assessment, moral oversight," from cēnsēre "to give as an opinion, perform the duties of a censor" + -ūra -ure — more at censor entry 1

Verb

derivative of censure entry 1, probably after Middle French censurer

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of censure was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near censure

Cite this Entry

“Censure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/censure. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

censure

1 of 2 noun
cen·​sure ˈsen-chər How to pronounce censure (audio)
1
: the act of blaming or condemning sternly
2
: an official expression of disapproval

censure

2 of 2 verb
censured; censuring ˈsench-(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce censure (audio)
1
: to find fault with
2
: to express formal disapproval of
censured the senator for misconduct
censurable
ˈsench-(ə-)rə-bəl
adjective
censurer noun

Legal Definition

censure

noun
cen·​sure ˈsen-chər How to pronounce censure (audio)
: an expression of official disapproval
a House resolution approving a censure of the representative
censure transitive verb

More from Merriam-Webster on censure

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