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

Under Trump, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg sustained countless attacks from the Trump administration and conservative lawmakers over censorship allegations. —Makena Kelly, WIRED, 28 Oct. 2024

China’s censorship is among the toughest in the world. —Helen Regan, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024

Amid censorship and repression, truth is a rare commodity, and stating a humble and obvious truth, like the boy who queried the Emperor’s new clothes, can have a decisive effect. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024

My only real gripe is with this remake’s unnecessary censorship, especially as the original game was released back in 1988 without any issues. —Ollie Barder, Forbes, 15 Oct. 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