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

On March 21, photography exhibit Beyond the Silence opened in Lviv, in western Ukraine, bringing into focus the realities of war, occupation, censorship, and human resilience across Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nigeria, and Myanmar. —Katya Soldak, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025

Viewpoint neutrality — the principle that the government cannot favor one viewpoint over another — is important, not only to protect the speaker from censorship but also to safeguard the rights of the listeners. —Bastiaan Vanacker, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025

Hopefully, Meta’s ham-handed attempt at censorship will lead more people to read Wynn-Williams’ book, a darkly hilarious, shocking tale that starts as farce and ends as tragedy. —Michelle Goldberg, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2025

Suzanne Collins has never been subtle with her commentary on propaganda and censorship. —Dhanika Pineda, NPR, 18 Mar. 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

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