census

noun

cen·​sus ˈsen(t)-səs 

1

: a count of the population and a property evaluation in early Rome

2

: a usually complete enumeration of a population

specifically : a periodic governmental enumeration of population

According to the latest U.S census, 16% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

3

: count, tally

a census of deer in a game refuge

census transitive verb

Synonyms

• count
• tale
• tally

Examples of census in a Sentence

According to the latest census, the racial makeup of the town has changed dramatically in the last 50 years.

a thorough census of all the grizzly bears living within the national park

Recent Examples on the Web

In Pennsylvania, Puerto Ricans make up about 8% of the population, according to census data. —David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024

About 64% of Tennessee adults were registered to vote in 2022, according to census data from the midterm election. —Adam Tamburin, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024

Livingston County is a predominantly white area: 93.6% white, non-Hispanic or Latino, compared with 58.4% nationally, according to census data. —Sonja Krohn and Siddhi Choubey, Detroit Free Press, 1 Nov. 2024

Tohono O’odham Nation reservation, which has about 10,000 residents according to census data, sprawls across a Connecticut-sized area of the Sonoran Desert with its iconic saguaro cactus and mesquite trees. —Tom Hals, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin cēnsus, from cēnsēre "to give as an opinion, assess, appraise, perform the duties of a censor" + -tus, suffix of verbal action — more at censor entry 1

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing census

• census clause

Kids Definition

census

noun

cen·​sus ˈsen(t)-səs 

: a counting of the population (as of a country, city, or town) and a gathering of related statistics done by a government every so often

Legal Definition

census

noun

cen·​sus

: a usually complete count of a population (as of a state)

especially : a periodic governmental count of a population that usually includes social and economic information (as occupations, ages, and incomes)