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

Intense government censorship and threats against anti-Maduro content means that most Venezuelans get their news through social media. —Harriet Marsden, theweek, 17 Nov. 2024

News of the death toll sent shock waves through Chinese social media, although the topic ranked only 11th on Weibo, China’s X-like platform, which is subject to strict internet censorship. —Peter Guo, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024

Fairall’s lawsuit labels the postponement a form of censorship. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 6 Nov. 2024

One of its most significant advantages is resistance to censorship. —Gary Weinstein, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

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