censor

To review for, and if necessary to remove or suppress, content from books, films, correspondence, and other media which is regarded as objectionable (for example, obscene, likely to incite violence, or sensitive).

Noun Ancient Rome, historical

  1. One of the two magistrates who originally administered the census of citizens, and by Classical times (between the 8th century B.C.E. and the 6th century C.E.) was a high judge of public behaviour and morality.
    • The Ancient Roman censors were part of the cursus honorum, a series of public offices held during a political career, like consuls and praetors.
    • And Nobly nam'd, ſo twice being Cenſor, / Was his great Anceſtor. - c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First...
    • Neither [the Segetes Lustrantur and the Oves Lustrantur] are in this place, to be underſtood the Luſtra, which were wont to be Celebrated at Rome by the Cenſors, after the Cenſus of Citizens was made by a Sacrifice of...

    Synonyms: censorian censurer

  2. A high-ranking official who was responsible for the supervision of subordinate government officials.
  3. An official responsible for the removal or suppression of objectionable material (for example, if obscene or likely to incite violence) or sensitive content in books, films, correspondence, and other media.
    • The headmaster was an even stricter censor of his boarding pupils’ correspondence than the enemy censors had been of his own when the country was occupied.
    • There being a censor of public morals I will refrain from giving that worthy warrior's reply when he had digested this astounding piece of information; it is sufficient to say that it did not encourage further...

    Synonyms: censurer

  4. A college or university official whose duties vary depending on the institution.
    • During his [Theophilus Higgons's] reſidence in the ſaid houſe [Christ Church, Oxford], he was eſteemed a Perſon to be much ſtained with Puritaniſme, and to be violent againſt all ſuch that were ſuſpected to favour the...
  5. One who censures or condemns.
    • Why that character [of the English Revolution] was so peculiar is sufficiently obvious, and yet seems not to have been always understood either by eulogists or by censors. - 1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter X,...

    Synonyms: censurer

  6. An algorithm that approves or rejects something on grounds of taste or morality etc.
    • I tried using a dirty word as my user name for the online game, but the censor rejected it.

Origin

The noun is borrowed from Latin cēnsor (“magistrate; critic”), from cēnseō (“to give an opinion, judge; to assess, reckon; to decree, determine”) + -sor (variant of -tor (suffix forming masculine agent nouns)). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱens- (“to announce, proclaim; to put in order”). The English word is cognate with Late Middle English sensour, Proto-Iranian *cánhati (“to declare; to explain”), Sanskrit शंसति (śaṃsati, “to declare”). The verb is derived from the noun.

Forms

censors censour

Related

censorial censorian censorical censorious censoriously censoriousness

Derived

anticensor bleep censor censorable censorate censoress censorism censorist censorize censorless censor morum censorship CensorStation censorware cybercensor

Noun human sciences, psychology

  1. A hypothetical subconscious agency which filters unacceptable thought before it reaches the conscious mind.

Origin

From an incorrect translation of German Zensur (“censorship”).

Forms

censors

Verb

  1. To review for, and if necessary to remove or suppress, content from books, films, correspondence, and other media which is regarded as objectionable (for example, obscene, likely to incite violence, or sensitive).
    • The people responsible for censoring films have seen some startling things in their time.
    • Occupying powers typically censor anything reeking of resistance
    • Ganley is in hourly dread of every message that comes into your wireless-room. He insists on censoring anything that might betray him. - 1909, Arthur Stringer, “The Movement in Retreat”, in The Gun-runner, New York,...

    Synonyms: bowdlerize expurgate expunge redact

    Antonyms: decensor

  2. To partially obscure an observation.
    • Early dropout is one cause of right-censoring.

Forms

censors censoring censored

Derived

censorability censoree censoring precensor recensor self-censor uncensor