censorship

noun

cen·​sor·​ship ˈsen(t)-sər-ˌship 

1

a

: the institution, system, or practice of censoring

They oppose government censorship.

b

: the actions or practices of censors

especially : censorial control exercised repressively

censorship that has … permitted a very limited dispersion of facts

—Philip Wylie

2

: the office, power, or term of a Roman censor

3

: exclusion from consciousness by the psychic censor

Examples of censorship in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

American users navigate language barriers and censorship RedNote's new American users are confronting the potentially taboo topics of privacy and censorship head-on. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 15 Jan. 2025

Beyond privacy, there are concerns about content censorship, experts point out. —Kate O'Flaherty, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025

Elon Musk publicly criticized these orders as censorship. —Armando Regil Velasco Fox News, Fox News, 10 Jan. 2025

This is a moment in history when the primary threat is from the powerful leftist ideologues carrying out censorship. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

censor entry 1 + -ship

First Known Use

circa 1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing censorship

• anti-censorship
• self-censorship

Kids Definition

censorship

noun

cen·​sor·​ship ˈsen(t)-sər-ˌship 

: the system or practice of censoring

Medical Definition

censorship

noun

cen·​sor·​ship ˈsen(t)-sər-ˌship 

: exclusion from consciousness by the psychic censor

Legal Definition

censorship

noun

cen·​sor·​ship

: the institution, system, or practice of censoring compare freedom of speech, prior restraint