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

In response, Truth Social has absurdly claimed that the lawsuit amounts to censorship. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026

Those claims are triggering the censorship of legitimate news stories. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026

The right way to manage the risk is focusing on physical infrastructure, not censorship. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2026

Regulators and researchers spent the past year warning that Chinese AI models like DeepSeek come with Beijing’s censorship baked in, but a growing body of research suggests American AI models may not be entirely immune from it. — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

censor entry 1 + -ship

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing censorship

• anti-censorship
• self-censorship

Rhymes for censorship

• authorship
• battleship
• chairmanship
• chieftainship
• comradeship
• consulship
• craftsmanship
• dealership
• draftsmanship
• fellowship
• fingertip
• internship

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