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, 20% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

3

: count, tally

a census of deer in a game refuge

census transitive verb

Synonyms of census

• count
• 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

This includes 40% of the state’s Hispanic and Latino population, according to 2024 census estimates. —Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026

Residents have begun fleeing for lower-cost-of-living states at such a high rate that California is poised to lose Electoral College votes after the next census. —Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026

Virginians are set to vote April 21 on a state constitutional amendment that would temporarily allow the legislature to redraw the state’s congressional districts before the 2030 census. —Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 11 Mar. 2026

The district has a population of about 765,000 people, according to 2020 census data, and a median household income of $78,969. —Irene Wright, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026

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

circa 1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing census

• census clause

Rhymes for census

• amanuensis
• melitensis
• consensus

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)