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

While the latest census from 2021 estimates nearly double that number now soar through the valleys, these tropical birds are still critically endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). —Brianna Randall, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026

And the numbers being used come from the 2020 census, which are long outdated. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026

DeSantis now demands yet another gerrymander, without a new census to justify it, and can count on six favorable votes at the Supreme Court. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026

New York adopted its current congressional map in 2024, after procedural and legal challenges to maps drawn by the state's independent redistricting commission and later the state legislature after the 2020 census. —Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 21 Jan. 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)