Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A person authorized to examine books, films, or other material and to remove or suppress what is considered morally, politically, or otherwise objectionable.
  • noun An official, as in the armed forces, who examines personal mail and official dispatches to remove information considered secret or a risk to security.
  • noun One that condemns or censures.
  • noun One of two officials in ancient Rome responsible for taking the public census and supervising public behavior and morals.
  • noun Psychology The agent in the unconscious that is responsible for censorship.
  • transitive verb To examine and expurgate.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To subject to the examination, revision, or expurgation of a censor: as, to censor a book, periodical, play, or the like; especially (military), to subject (press despatches, etc.) to scrutiny with a view to suppressing information which, if made public, might embarrass military operations.
  • noun One of two superior magistrates of ancient Rome, who in the latter half of the fifth century b. c. succeeded to certain powers which had before been exercised by the consuls.
  • noun An officer empowered to examine manuscripts, books, pamphlets, plays, etc., intended for publication or public performance, in order to see that they contain nothing heretical, immoral, or subversive of the established order of government. See censorship. Formerly called licenser.
  • noun One who censures, blames, or reproves; one addicted to censure or faultfinding; one who assumes the functions of a critic.
  • noun In old universities, the title of certain masters chosen by the nations to visit the colleges and reform the administration, discipline, and instruction.
  • noun In the university of Cambridge, a college officer whose duties are similar to those of dean; at Christ Church, Oxford, one of two fellows having similar functions, called senior and junior censor.
  • noun In China, one of a body of officials stationed at Peking, under the presidency of a Chinese and a Manchu, who are charged with the duty of inspecting the affairs of the empire, and, if need be, of censuring any of the officials, and even the emperor himself, for any act which they consider illegal, extravagant, or unjust. They are called the “eyes and ears” of the emperor.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Antiq.) One of two magistrates of Rome who took a register of the number and property of citizens, and who also exercised the office of inspector of morals and conduct.
  • noun One who is empowered to examine manuscripts before they are committed to the press, and to forbid their publication if they contain anything obnoxious; -- an official in some European countries.
  • noun One given to fault-finding; a censurer.
  • noun A critic; a reviewer.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun history A Roman magistrate, originally a census administrator, by Classical times a high judge of public behavior and morality
  • noun An official responsible for the removal of objectionable or sensitive content
  • noun One who censures or condemns
  • noun psychology A hypothetical subconscious agency which filters unacceptable thought before it reaches the conscious
  • noun acronym Censors Ensure No Secrets Over Radios
  • verb transitive To review in order to remove objectionable content from correspondence or public media, either by legal criteria or with discretionary powers
  • verb transitive To remove objectionable content

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb subject to political, religious, or moral censorship
  • noun a person who is authorized to read publications or correspondence or to watch theatrical performances and suppress in whole or in part anything considered obscene or politically unacceptable
  • verb forbid the public distribution of ( a movie or a newspaper)
  • noun someone who censures or condemns

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin cēnsor, Roman censor, from cēnsēre, to assess; see kens- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin cēnsor, from censere ("to tax, assess, value, judge, consider, etc.").

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Examples

  • America is supposed to be free. u guyz saying…’censor it!’ and ‘ remove it!’ r wrong whoever posted this had a right to and whoever did, i strongly reccomend that u do not censor this pic. its okay if some of u think racism and stereotypes is a big deal, but think about the more important issues!

    me no rike remonade - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2007

  • The title censor was given to magistrates in ancient Rome who supervised public morals and drew up the register, or census, of citizens.

    No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003

  • The title censor was given to magistrates in ancient Rome who supervised public morals and drew up the register, or census, of citizens.

    No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003

  • The title censor was given to magistrates in ancient Rome who supervised public morals and drew up the register, or census, of citizens.

    No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003

  • The title censor was given to magistrates in ancient Rome who supervised public morals and drew up the register, or census, of citizens.

    No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003

  • Obivously, by the mere actions of ABC and the other lib media, the censorship of anything healthcare will lead to something being signed .... what they cannot prevent or censor is the draining of your paycheck through taxation ...

    Pelosi: There will be public option in House health care bill 2009

  • It was remarked which these final scenes with Enobarbus raise Antony's impression in a minds, given his mostly cynical, witty, unsparing censor is so despairing during withdrawal his master.

    Archive 2009-11-01 admin 2009

  • It was remarked which these final scenes with Enobarbus raise Antony's impression in a minds, given his mostly cynical, witty, unsparing censor is so despairing during withdrawal his master.

    Philadelphia Reflections: Shakspere Society of Philadelphia admin 2009

  • Synopsis: An Elizabethan-era censor is visited by a man from the future looking to preserve a seditious play lost to time.

    REVIEW: The Year's Best Science Fiction #24 edited by Gardner Dozois 2007

  • In his Persecution and the Art of Writing, which I am assuming Professor Weinberger knows almost by heart, Leo Strauss made the surprisingly unesoteric observation that the best way to avoid the wrath of the censor is to present an apparently balanced debate in which the views of the side disliked by the censor are given a "straight" denunciation.

    Free and Easy 2005

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