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
• 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

That prompted him to goad Texas Republicans into redrawing their House seat boundaries — a process usually done every 10 years after the national census, not in the middle of a decade — to give the GOP five additional favorable districts. —Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025

Typically, states redraw the boundaries of their congressional districts every 10 years, based on census data. —Isabella Volmert, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025

The commission would then draw new maps after the 2030 census. —Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025

Under Rosado’s proposal, each of the city commissioners, the mayor and the city manager must appoint a member to the Charter Review Commission within one year of the federal census. —Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2025

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

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)