censor
noun
cen·sor
| \ ˈsen(t)-sər
\
\
Definition of censor
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a person who supervises conduct and morals: such as
a
: an official who examines materials (such as publications or films) for objectionable matter
Government censors deleted all references to the protest.
b
: an official (as in time of war) who reads communications (such as letters) and deletes material considered sensitive or harmful
2
: one of two magistrates of early Rome acting as census takers, assessors, and inspectors of morals and conduct
Cato the Censor accused Africanus and his senior officers of running an army riddled with moral laxity— Colleen McCullough
3
: a hypothetical psychic agency that represses unacceptable notions before they reach consciousness
censor
verb
censored;
censoring\ ˈsen(t)-sə-riŋ
, ˈsen(t)s-riŋ \
, ˈsen(t)s-riŋ \
Definition of censor (Entry 2 of 2)
: to examine in order to suppress (see suppress sense 2) or delete anything considered objectionable
censor the news
also
: to suppress or delete as objectionable
censor out indecent passages
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Other Words from censor
Noun
censorial
\ sen-ˈsȯr-ē-əl
\
adjective
\
adjective
Synonyms for censor
Synonyms: Verb
bowdlerize, clean (up), expurgate, launder, red-pencil
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Examples of censor in a Sentence
Noun
Government censors deleted all references to the protest.Verb
The station censored her speech before broadcasting it. His report was heavily censored.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
GIF Log in with or sign up with Disqus or pick a name Disqus is a discussion network Disqus never moderates or censors. — Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "Angry driver accused of murder after bicyclist’s death is caught on video," 3 Sep. 2019 In 1961 Soviet censors not only banned the book but seized the manuscript and all Grossman’s drafts. — The Economist, "A great Russian director brings history to life on stage," 17 May 2018 There is little evidence that Facebook censors users based on their political leanings. — Paris Martineau, WIRED, "Accused of Liberal Bias, Facebook Allows Ads With ... Tubes," 21 Aug. 2019 GIF Log in with or sign up with Disqus or pick a name Disqus is a discussion network Disqus never moderates or censors. — Bay City News, The Mercury News, "Condo attack suspect captured on video attacking San Francisco woman also tied to earlier assault," 20 Aug. 2019 China ruthlessly censors dissent at home and exports the technology to censor it abroad. — The Economist, "The global gag on free speech is tightening," 15 Aug. 2019 The manifesto, as well as a video livestreamed on social media as the killings unfolded, were deemed objectionable content by the country’s chief censor shortly after the attacks. — Charlotte Graham-mclay, BostonGlobe.com, "New Zealand officials admit letting Christchurch suspect send hateful letter," 14 Aug. 2019 Government censors routinely block websites, while judges have jailed social media users for posting or even liking posts critical of the government. — Sabra Ayresmoscow Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, "After a deadly nuclear missile test in Russia’s north, the Kremlin stuck to an old Soviet habit: Secrecy," 13 Aug. 2019 This is tough to do with limited information; first, with the challenge in verifying the buildings by cross-referencing with local data as China’s censors quickly take the evidence down and, secondly, with little knowledge of how crowded camps are. — Patrick Dehahn, Quartz, "More than 1 million Muslims are detained in China—but how did we get that number?," 4 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Under the law, the chief executive is granted control over detentions and deportations, arrests and transportation hubs, as well as the ability to censor publications. — Washington Post, "With Hong Kong in turmoil, questions grow over leader’s refusal to offer concessions to protesters," 29 Aug. 2019 LinkedIn is also the only major American social media platform not blocked in China because the company has agreed to censor posts containing delicate material. — Edward Wong, New York Times, "How China Uses LinkedIn to Recruit Spies Abroad," 27 Aug. 2019 Lewis Ziska, a veteran scientist who worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 25 years, recently left the agency after officials there tried to censor an academic paper exploring the impact of climate change on rice. — Georgina Gustin, sun-sentinel.com, "Top CDC health and climate scientist files whistleblower complaint," 18 Aug. 2019 Russia itself has vacillated in its official response, calling to mind the Chernobyl disaster with decisions to initially censor radiation reports before admitting the test accident. — Tim Fernholz, Quartz, "Russia’s nuclear-powered doomsday missile, explained," 13 Aug. 2019 The answer is complicated, but basically binary: there is a lot that private companies can do to censor speech but much less that the government can do. — Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, "The El Paso Shooting and the Virality of Evil," 4 Aug. 2019 Its biggest boosters believe blockchains can not only replace central banks but usher in a new era of online services that would be impossible to censor. — Klint Finley, WIRED, "The WIRED Guide to the Blockchain," 9 July 2019 Yet Russian distributors chose to heavily censor my film 'Rocketman' by removing all references to my finding true happiness through my 25 year relationship with David and the raising of my two beautiful sons. — Rania Aniftos, Billboard, "Elton John Pens Note to Vladimir Putin, Says He's 'Deeply Upset' Following LGBTQ Comments," 28 June 2019 After years of public calls to censor Donald Trump on Twitter – which heretofore have not been granted — Twitter is finally introducing a policy that could add warning labels to the President's most inflammatory and threatening Tweets. — Anabel Pasarow, refinery29.com, "Trump’s Tweets Have Gotten So Bad That Twitter Might Start Giving Them Warning Labels," 28 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'censor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for censor
censor
noun
English Language Learners Definition of censor
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a person who examines books, movies, letters, etc., and removes things that are considered to be offensive, immoral, harmful to society, etc.
censor
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of censor (Entry 2 of 2)
: to examine books, movies, letters, etc., in order to remove things that are considered to be offensive, immoral, harmful to society, etc.
See the full definition for censor in the English Language Learners Dictionary
censor
noun
cen·sor
| \ ˈsen-sər
\
\
Kids Definition of censor
(Entry 1 of 2)