census

noun

cen·​sus ˈsen(t)-səs 

1

: a count of the population and a property evaluation in early Rome

2

: a usually complete enumeration of a population

specifically : a periodic governmental enumeration of population

According to the latest U.S census, 16% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

3

: count, tally

a census of deer in a game refuge

census transitive verb

Synonyms

• count
• tale
• tally

Examples of census in a Sentence

According to the latest census, the racial makeup of the town has changed dramatically in the last 50 years.

a thorough census of all the grizzly bears living within the national park

Recent Examples on the Web

In the second United States census of 1800, only 20% of the population of the United States fell within the voting rights parameters of white male over the age of 21 (disregarding literacy rates or land ownership). —Caleb Stimmell, Orlando Sentinel, 8 July 2024

About 30% of the new residents — or around 14,500 people — were Hispanic, according to a Charlotte Observer’s analysis of census data. —Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 8 July 2024

The larger San Francisco metropolitan area, including Oakland and Hayward, has the lowest rate of air conditioning of any major metro area in the country, according to census data from 2021, which includes two Bay Area metros. —Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 6 July 2024

According to the 2021 census, nearly 2.1 million Nepalis live outside Nepal, 7.4% of the total population, the majority of whom work in informal sectors. —Aakash Hassan, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin cēnsus, from cēnsēre "to give as an opinion, assess, appraise, perform the duties of a censor" + -tus, suffix of verbal action — more at censor entry 1

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing census

• census clause

Kids Definition

census

noun

cen·​sus ˈsen(t)-səs 

: a counting of the population (as of a country, city, or town) and a gathering of related statistics done by a government every so often

Legal Definition

census

noun

cen·​sus

: a usually complete count of a population (as of a state)

especially : a periodic governmental count of a population that usually includes social and economic information (as occupations, ages, and incomes)