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

There were over 293,000 Jewish people living in the United Kingdom when the last comprehensive national census was conducted in March 2021. —Tiago Ventura, Time, 6 Mar. 2026

Looking at data from the 2020 census, Arlington’s median household income was $65,481. —Ella Gonzales march 5, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2026

Even as unsheltered homelessness declined for the last two years across Los Angeles County, the unsheltered population on Skid Row — long seen as the epicenter of the region’s homelessness crisis — grew 9% in 2024, the most recent year for which census data are available. —Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026

More than three dozen city officials hit the streets of the East County city to perform their first independent homelessness census in January, a week before the regional point-in-time count was set to take place. —Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 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)